Dogs with CEHPSS treated by ARC generally have a good prognosis and prolonged postoperative survival.

Dogs with smaller preoperative liver volumes had the largest postoperative increase in liver volume. Hepatic arterial perfusion and portal scintigraphy correlate with liver volume and are indicators of successful shunt attenuation. Dogs without visible vasculature on CT angiography had visible portal vasculature postoperatively.

The aims of this prospective study were to quantify steatosis in dogs with congenital portosystemic shunts using a fat-specific stain, to compare the amount of steatosis in different lobes of the liver, and to evaluate intra- and inter-Observer variability in lipid point counting. Computer-assisted point counting of lipid droplets was undertaken following Oil-Red-O staining in 21 dogs with congenital portosystemic shunts and 9 control dogs. Dogs with congenital portosystemic shunts had significantly more small lipid droplets (< 6 μ) than control dogs (p = 0.0013 and 0.0002, respectively). There was no significant difference in steatosis between liver lobes for either control dogs and CPS dogs. Significant differences were seen between observers for the number of large lipid droplets (> 9 μ) and lipogranulomas per tissue point (p = 0.023 and 0.01, respectively). In conclusion, computer-assisted counting of lipid droplets following Oil Red O staining of liver biopsy samples allows objective measurement and detection of significant differences between dogs with CPS and normal dogs. This method will allow future evaluation of the relationship between different presentations of CPS (anatomy, age, breed) and lipidosis, as well as the impact of hepatic lipidosis on outcomes following surgical shunt attenuation.

Laparoscopic MILN extirpation is feasible in dogs with normal MILN and may serve as a minimally invasive approach for excisional biopsy in the diagnostic staging of canine onocologic patients with normal-sized MILN. This lateral laparoscopic approach allows dissection of the ipsilateral MILN but precludes removal of the contralateral MILN. Minimal handling of the lymph node during dissection and removal is required to reduce the risk of capsular tear, or introduction of possible histologic artifact by tissue crush that may impact diagnosis.