Due to the importance of presurgical, noninvasive, and accurate diagnostic tools in mammary carcinoma characterization, this prospective secondary observational cohort study was designed to evaluate and compare the diagnostic accuracy of B-mode, Doppler, contrast enhancement ultrasonography, or acoustic radiation force impulse-elastography in identifying mammary carcinomas types with high degree of malignancy. A total of 246 mammary carcinomas from 141 female dogs were analyzed using B-mode, Doppler, contrast enhancement ultrasonography, and acoustic radiation force impulse ultrasonography prior to their histopathological classification according to types (simple, complex, or special) and grade (I, II, or III). Qualitative and quantitative variables were compared between carcinoma types and grades by Fisher's or analysis of variance. Diagnostic performance was estimated by receiver-operating characteristic analysis, using histopathological classification as a reference. Deformability (acoustic radiation force impulse) had a diagnostic specificity of 100% and sensitivity of 12% in identifying special carcinomas. A width:length ratio greater than 0.53 can be suggestive of special carcinoma, with 80% sensitivity and 76% specificity. Contrast wash-in and peak enhancement times lower than 7.5 and 13.5 s, respectively, were indicative of complex carcinoma at 62% sensitivity and 60% specificity. Contrast wash-in, peak enhancement, and wash-out times greater than 6.5, 12.5, and 64.5 s, respectively; were indicative of grade II and III carcinoma at 68% sensitivity and 62% specificity. In conclusion, B-mode ultrasonography, contrast enhancement ultrasonography, and acoustic radiation force impulse-elastography enabled the identification of some of the characteristics of high-grade mammary carcinoma types and grades in female dogs with limited accuracy. The findings from this study may contribute to oncology research and clinical management canine patients.

RESUMO:A cistite idiopática felina (CIF) é a causa mais comum de doença do trato urinário inferior felino (DTUIF), enquanto a cistite bacteriana é diagnosticada somente em 1% a 3% dos casos. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar gatos com apresentação ou histórico de sinais de doença do trato urinário inferior (SDTUI), considerando aspectos epidemiológicos, clínicos e laboratoriais. Cinco gatos sadios e 45 gatos com SDTUI foram avaliados no período de março de 2011 a outubro de 2012, por meio de histórico, exame físico, ultrassonografia abdominal e exames laboratoriais (hematológico, urinálise, bioquímica sérica e urinária e urocultura). Os diagnósticos dos gatos com SDTUI incluíram CIF não obstrutiva, CIF obstrutiva e cistite bacteriana. Não houve diferença significativa quanto à densidade, pH e qualidade do sedimento urinário entre as diferentes categorias etiológicas de DTUIF. A hematúria foi maior em gatos com SDTUI, e a piúria foi associada principalmente com cistite bacteriana. Adicionalmente, outros achados sugerem que raças específicas, idade, gênero e castração não estão associados com as manifestações de SDTUI em felinos. Palavras-chave: gato; cistite; trato urinário inferior felino EPIDEMIOLOGIC, CLINIC AND LABORATORIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF DISEASE CATS WITH LOWER URINARY TRACT SIGNSABSTRACT: Feline idiopathic cystitis (FIC) is the most common cause of feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD), whereas bacterial cystitis is diagnosed only in 1% to 3% of the cases. The aim of this study was to evaluate cats with presentation or history of lower urinary tract signs disease (LUTSD), considering epidemiological, clinical and laboratory aspects. From March 2011 to October 2012, 45 cats presenting LUTSD and five health cats were evaluated regarding to the history, physical examination, abdominal ultrasonography and laboratorial analyses (CBC, urinalysis, clinical chemistry and urine culture). For the 45 cats presenting LUTSD, the diagnosis included nonobstructive FIC, obstructive FIC, and bacterial cystitis. There were no significant differences in the urine specific gravity, pH and quality of the urine sediment between al FLUTD categories. The hematuria was higher in cats with LUTSD, and piuria was associated mainly to bacterial cystitis. Additionally, other findings suggest that features as breed, age, gender, and neutering were not associated with LUTSD presentation in felines.

Throughout pregnancy, maternal hemodynamic adaptation is needed to ensure proper uterine perfusion and fetal development. When the uteroplacental vascular system is formed, starting with reduced resistance to uterine arterial flow, this results in decreased total vascular resistance, an activation of neuroendocrine vasoactive peptides, an increase in circulating blood and changes in the cardiovascular system morphophysiology to respond to the increasing demands of uterine perfusion. There has been considerable study of hemodynamic adaptation in pregnant women and this assessment has become a diagnostic tool for fatal obstetric disorders. However, in bitches the available information in this regard is limited; therefore a parallel was drawn between other species of animals and women, in order to subsidize the paucity of information about this process and facilitate the understanding of maternal-fetal hemodynamic adaptation in pregnant bitches. This review and literature analysis aimed\ to discuss morphophysiological cardiovascular adaptations during pregnancy and the possible disorders that can affect this process in pregnant female dogs.

This study set out to determine normal values for acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) elastography of the superficial digital flexor tendon, deep digital flexor tendon, accessory ligament of the deep digital flexor tendon and suspensory ligament in horses. Twenty-four horses were submitted to conventional sonographic assessment and elastography imaging (quantitative ARFI method) of distal forelimb tendons and ligaments at nine anatomical regions. Elastograms depicted tendons and ligaments in orange to red tones consistent with greater stiffness. Shear wave velocity was higher in the longitudinal compared to the cross-sectional plane but did not differ significantly between the left and right forelimbs. The suspensory ligament was stiffer compared to remaining structures in the cross-sectional plane. Ligaments were stiffer than tendons and the deep digital flexor tendon was stiffer than the superficial digital flexor tendon in the longitudinal plane. Target structures were stiffer in male compared to female horses and stiffness tended to increase with age. ARFI elastography proved to be a feasible and reproducible imaging modality for assessment of distal forelimb tendons and ligaments in horses. Qualitative features derived from stiffness quantification in these structures can be applied to horses with musculoskeletal disorders, as well as to other animal species.

Los testículos son los principales órganos sexuales de los machos y su función es producir espermatozoides y hormonas sexuales. Los trastornos de estos órganos son comunes en gatos domésticos. La ultrasonografía convencional, combinada con el análisis hemodinámico en tiempo real por Doppler y ultrasonido contrastado son herramientas diagnósticas importantes para la evaluación de enfermedades testiculares en gatos. Además, La elastografía-ARFI es un método ecográfico actual que evalúa la elasticidad tisular por medio del elastograma y de la velocidad de propagación de las ondas de cizallamiento. El estudio ecográfico de los testículos es un procedimiento de diagnóstico por imágenes común.