Negative hepatic computed tomographic attenuation pattern in a dog with vacuolar hepatopathy and hepatic fat accumulation secondary to cushing's syndrome.

This report describes an unusual computed tomographic (CT) hepatic pattern, characterized by negative attenuation values (from -19.59 to -28.85 Hounsfield Units, HU) in a canine patient with severe Cushing's syndrome. Attenuation values of the splenic parenchyma (63.26 HU) and abdominal fat (-118.34 HU) were within normal limits. The negative hepatic attenuation values allowed a CT diagnosis of severe hepatic fatty infiltration that was subsequently confirmed by tissue-core biopsy and histopathological examination.

Computed Tomography Evaluation of Normal Canine Abdominal Lymph Nodes: Retrospective Study of Size and Morphology According to Body Weight and Age in 45 Dogs.

The morphological characteristics of the largest lymphatic vessels and lymph nodes of the body have been described through ultrasonography, although food and gas in the gastrointestinal tract can often have negative effects on the response of small abdominal structures. The aim of the study was to describe the size of normal abdominal lymph nodes (ALs) in dogs affected by disease, not including lymphadenomegaly or lymphadenopathy, and divided according to body weight and age. The ALs studied included the jejunal, medial iliac, portal, gastric, splenic, and pancreaticoduodenal lymph nodes. Statistical correlation considering body weight and age as continuous variables showed that all measurements of the ALs increased according to body weight changes (p < 0.01). The most reliable values were the volume measurements (p < 0.001) compared to the length, thickness, and width. Mixed results emerged from a comparison of weight categories and age; only the jejunal lymph nodes showed a significant correlation (p < 0.05). Other characteristics (shape, attenuation, and enhancement) are subsequently reported. The resulting data can be used to categorize CT measurements of normal ALs displayed based on the body weight and age of the subjects. This study aimed to propose a new parameter of normalcy that may serve as a reference for the evaluation of infectious or neoplastic events.