Reestablishment of radiographic kidney size in Miniature Schnauzer dogs.
Kidney size may be altered in renal diseases, and the detection of kidney size alteration has diagnostic and prognostic values. We hypothesized that radiographic kidney size, the kidney length to the second lumbar vertebra (L2) length ratio, in normal Miniature Schnauzer dogs may be overestimated due to their shorter vertebral length. This study was conducted to evaluate radiographic and ultrasonographic kidney size and L2 length in clinically normal Miniature Schnauzers and other dog breeds to evaluate the effect of vertebral length on radiographic kidney size and to reestablish radiographic kidney size in normal Miniature Schnauzers. Abdominal radiographs and ultrasonograms from 49 Miniature Schnauzers and 54 other breeds without clinical evidence of renal disease and lumbar vertebral abnormality were retrospectively evaluated. Radiographic kidney size, in the Miniature Schnauzer (3.31 ± 0.26) was significantly larger than that in other breeds (2.94 ± 0.27). Relative L2 length, the L2 length to width ratio, in the Miniature Schnauzer (1.11 ± 0.06) was significantly shorter than that in other breeds (1.21 ± 0.09). However, ultrasonographic kidney sizes, kidney length to aorta diameter ratios, were within or very close to normal range both in the Miniature Schnauzer (6.75 ± 0.67) and other breeds (7.16 ± 1.01). Thus, Miniature Schnauzer dogs have breed-specific short vertebrae and consequently a larger radiographic kidney size, which was greater than standard reference in normal adult dogs. Care should be taken when evaluating radiographic kidney size in Miniature Schnauzers to prevent falsely diagnosed renomegaly.
College of Veterinary Medicine and the Research Institute for Veterinary Science, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea.
Jungmin
J
Sohn
Sookyung
S
Yun
Jeosoon
J
Lee
Dongwoo
D
Chang
Mincheol
M
Choi
Junghee
J
Yoon
D000818:Animals; D004285:Dogs / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D005260:Female; D007668:Kidney / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D011860:Radiography, Abdominal; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014463:Ultrasonography