The normal sonographic thickness of the individual layers (ie, mucosa, submucosa, muscularis and subserosa-serosa) of the intestinal wall was evaluated in 20 clinically healthy cats. The mean thickness of the wall was 2.20, 2.22, 3.00 and 2.04 mm for duodenum, jejunum, ileum (fold) and ileum (between folds), respectively. The mean thickness of the mucosal layer was 1.27, 1.20, 0.46 and 0.49 mm for duodenum, jejunum, ileum (fold) and ileum (between folds), respectively, and its contribution to wall thickness was significantly greater than that of the other layers in the duodenum (57.7%) and jejunum (55.2%). The mean thickness of the submucosal layer was 0.36, 0.36, 1.49 and 0.53 mm for duodenum, jejunum, ileum (fold) and ileum (between folds), respectively, and its contribution to wall thickness was greater than that of the muscularis in the duodenum (16.3%), jejunum (16%) and ileum (fold) (49.8 %). The mean thickness of muscularis was 0.28, 0.35, 0.66 and 0.65 mm for duodenum, jejunum, ileum (fold) and ileum (between folds), respectively, with a corresponding contribution to wall thickness of 12.7 %, 14.4%, 22% and 31.6%. Finally, the mean thickness of serosa was 0.29, 0.31, 0.38 and 0.38 mm for duodenum, jejunum, ileum (fold) and ileum (between folds), respectively, with a corresponding contribution to wall thickness of 13.3%, 14.4%, 12.7 % and 18.7%. These values can provide baseline information that might be useful in evaluating intestinal disorders affecting preferentially some of the intestinal layers.

A 9-year-old Giant Schnauzer was referred for polyuria and polydipsia. On abdominal ultrasound, a hyperechoic mass with low color Doppler signal was detected in the medial right hepatic lobe. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) demonstrated increased enhancement of the mass during the arterial phase, and contrast washout during portal and late phases with decreased enhancement relative to the liver. These findings were consistent with primary liver malignancy or liver metastasis. A final diagnosis of cholangiocellular adenoma was made based on histopathology. To our knowledge, this is the first description of a benign hepatic neoplasm exhibiting malignant CEUS characteristics in a dog.

Neoplasia of the prostate is relatively uncommon in dogs with adenocarcinoma being the most common type. Non‐epithelial tumors are rare and only individual cases of malignant lymphoma affecting the prostate have been reported. The purpose of this multi‐institutional, retrospective, descriptive study was to characterize the ultrasonographic features of canine prostatic lymphoma. Inclusion criteria were an abdominal ultrasound and cytological/histological diagnosis of malignant prostatic lymphoma. Ultrasonographic features were recorded based on the original ultrasonographic reports and consensus opinion of two readers on the available image sets retrospectively. Nine dogs met the inclusion criteria with a mean age of 6.5 years. Seven dogs were intact and two neutered. Subjective prostatomegaly was noted in all patients however not reproducible by objective measurements. Altered shape with rounded/irregular margins was detected in 78% of the cases. All prostates presented either diffuse (three dogs) or focal/periurethral (four dogs) and/or multifocal areas of hypoechogenicity (three dogs). In one dog, focal and multifocal hypoechoic changes co‐occurred. Prostatic mineralization was not present in any of the cases. Ultrasonographic features of infiltrative disease of multiple organs and/or lymphadenopathy was found in all cases. Even though malignant lymphoma is rare in the prostate, it should be included in the list of differentials in patients with hypoechoic lesions/areas, altered shape, lack of mineralization of the prostatic parenchyma and evidence of multiorgan involvement.

Background: Idiopathic renal hematuria (IRH) generally occurs in healthy large-breed dogs that are <2-years-old. It is characterized by recurrent bleeding from the kidneys of unidentified cause. The final diagnosis is reached through the exclusion of primary urinary system and systemic causes of hematuria along with the direct visualization by cystoscopy of hematic urine jets at the ureteral orifice. Case Description: An 8-year-old female neutered Whippet was presented for investigation of a 4-week history of chronic intermittent macroscopic hematuria. Physical examination, systolic blood pressure, extensive laboratory workup (including coagulation profile and platelet count), urine culture, thoracic and abdominal radiographs, pneumocystogram, and double-contrast cystography were all unremarkable. B-mode ultrasound showed no abnormalities apart from a moderate amount of suspended echogenic amorphous material visible within the urinary bladder lumen. In the contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) study, a large amount of echogenic ill-defined material was noted projecting into the urinary bladder lumen from the right ureterovesical junction in the fundamental mode. This material was more conspicuous and markedly contrast-enhancing in the harmonic mode. Ultrasound contrast medium has the unique property to strictly remain within the vessels without interstitial trapping or elimination by the kidneys. Indeed, the presence of the micro-bubbles into the urinary tract lumen in the CEUS study was interpreted as a direct sign of active urinary tract bleeding. A diagnosis of IRH was reached through CEUS and B-mode ultrasound along with an extensive laboratory workup and periodic follow-up of the patient. No therapy was administered and at a 1-year follow-up, the patient was alive with no current episodes of macroscopic hematuria reported. Conclusion: To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report describing the use of CEUS for the characterization of IRH. CEUS could represent a safe, non-invasive, affordable novel alternative technique to cystoscopy or cystotomy for the real-time diagnosis of IRH.

Susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) has been found to be more reliable in the detection of vessels and blood products than T2*-weighted gradient echo (GE) in several human brain diseases. In veterinary medicine, published information on the diagnostic usefulness of SWI is lacking. The aim of this retrospective observational study was to investigate the value of SWI compared to T2*-weighted GE images in a population of dogs and cats with presumed, MRI-based diagnoses grouped as neoplastic ( 27), cerebrovascular ( 14), inflammatory ( 14), head trauma (5), other pathologies (4), or that were normal (36). Areas of signal void (ASV) were assessed based on shape, distribution, number, and conspicuity. Presence of ASV was found in 31 T2*-weighted GE and 40 SWI sequences; the conspicuity of lesions increased in 92.5% of cases with SWI. A 44.7% increase in the number of cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) was identified within the population using SWI (110) compared to T2*-weighted GE (76). Linear ASV presumed to be abnormal vascular structures, as are reported in humans, were identified in 12 T2*-weighted GE and 19 SWI sequences. In presumed brain tumors, abnormal vascular structures were detected in 11 of 27 (40.7%) cases on T2*-weighted GE and in 16 of 27 (59.3%) cases on SWI, likely representing tumor neovascularization; amorphous ASV interpreted as presumed hemorrhages on T2*-weighted GE were diagnosed as vessels on SWI in five of 27 (18.5%) cases. Since SWI shows ASV more conspicuously than T2*-weighted GE, the authors advocate the use of SWI in veterinary patients.