Cibele Figueira Carvalho

Hepatic focal lesions are common findings in dogs, especially in older patients, and they can be benign or malignant. Imaging diagnostic modalities, such as ultrasonography and computed tomography, are commonly used to identify and assess the morphology of these lesions. They can add information to narrow the diagnostic possibilities, regarding that even the histopathological procedure considered the gold-standard for definitive diagnostic, is not always possible in certain patients. The present report describes a male dog, Golden Retriever, 13 years-old, with history of liver masses detected by B-mode ultrasonography. The patient was submitted to Triple-Phase Helical Abdominal Computed Tomography, as well as other imaging techniques to evaluate the liver lesions features and aid the differentiation between benign versus malign injury.

The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the efficacy of B-mode, Doppler, contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS), and Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse (ARFI) elastography in predicting malignancy in canine mammary masses. This was a prospective cohort study from 2014 to 2016, which included 153 bitches with one or more mammary masses. A total of 300 masses were evaluated by ultrasonography (B-mode, Doppler, CEUS, and ARFI) and subsequently classified as benign or malignant by histopathology. Each ultrasound parameters studied were compared between benign and malignant masses by Chi-square or Student tests and differences were considered significant when P < 0.01. For the variables that proved significant differences were estimated the cut-off point, sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and area under curve (AUC) by receiver-operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis in a logistic regression model using histopathological classification as reference, to assess and compare diagnostic performance of each technique. Out of 300 mammary masses evaluated 246 were classified as malignant and 54 as benign. B-mode measurements showed sensitivity 67.9%, and specificity 67.6% as malignancy predictors on canine mammary masses; Doppler indexes systolic (>21.2 m/s) and diastolic velocity (>4.8 m/s) sensitivity 79.2% and specificity 70.8%; CEUS wash-out time ( 2.57 m/s) sensitivity 94.7% and specificity 97.2% In conclusion B-mode and Doppler ultrasound evaluations may assist in malignancy prediction of canine mammary masses with moderate sensitivity and specificity, already the SWV was an great accurate predictor. Therefore, ARFI elastography exam inclusion in veterinary clinic oncology and research is highly recommended, since it allows fast, non-invasive, and complication-free malignancy prediction of canine mammary masses.

OBJECTIVES: To describe acoustic radiation impulse force elastography in evaluation of kidneys of adult cats.MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ten healthy adult short‐haired cats were included. Echogenicity and texture, cortico‐medullary relationship, size and edges of kidney were assessed by B‐mode and by qualitative elastography to detect the presence of deformities and shear velocities of different portions (cranial, middle and caudal of cortex and medulla).RESULTS: Findings of ultrasonography were normal in all cats. Qualitative elastography demonstrated that the renal cortex was not deformable and had homogeneous dark gray areas; the renal pelvis had lower stiffness (white); and the medulla showed a mosaic pattern. The results of shear wave velocity were different in cranial, middle and caudal regions of cortex and medulla: 2·46 ±0·45, 2·46 ±0·48 and 2·37 ±0·42 (P=0·795) in cortex and 1·61 ±0·69, 1·75 ±0·66 and 2·00 ±0·55 m/s (P=0·156) in medulla, respectively.CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Quantitative and qualitative acoustic radiation impulse force elastography of the kidney in adult cats was easily performed and this study provides base line data to allow the use of acoustic radiation impulse force in diseased animals.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the use of acoustic radiation force impulse elastography to evaluate the prostate and testes in healthy dogs and establish reference values for these organs.METHODS: Thirty dogs were divided into three groups according to their age: juvenile, adult and senior. Echotexture, size, contours and margins of prostate and testes were assessed via ultrasound. The presence of deformities and tissue stiffness (greyscale and homogeneous or heterogeneous) were evaluated by qualitative acoustic radiation force impulse. The shear velocity was evaluated quantitatively.RESULTS: The B mode findings were normal. The qualitative elastography demonstrated that the testes and prostate tissues were hard, homogeneous and not pliable. The shear velocity values were: left testes – juveniles: 1·28 m/s, adults: 1·23 m/s and seniors: 1·23 m/s; right testes – juveniles: 1·28 m/s, adults: 1·28 m/s and seniors: 1·28 m/s; left prostatic lobe – juveniles: 1·74 m/s, adults: 2·03 m/s and seniors: 1·82 m/s; right prostatic lobe – juvenile: 1·62 m/s, adults: 1·87 m/s and seniors: 1·90 m/s with no significant differences between groups.CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Acoustic radiation force impulse elastography of the testes and prostate in dogs was easily implemented. This study provides baseline data for these organs.