Assessment of the age for a preventive ultrasonographic examination of the prostate in the dog

Canine prostate specific esterase (CPSE) as an useful biomarker in preventive screening programme of canine prostate: CPSE threshold value assessment and its correlation with ultrasonographic prostatic abnormalities in asymptomatic dogs

“…Almost the 60% of the asymptomatic dogs presented at the ultrasonography an altered prostate (Group A), while the gland resulted echographically normal in the remaining 40% of the animals (Group B). This result confirms that prostatic disorders often remain asymptomatic therefore may be under‐estimated (Levy et al., ; Mantziaras et al., ; Polisca, Troisi, Fontaine, Menchetti, & Fontbonne, ). Due to the lack of pathognomonical clinical signs, at least at their onset, in the general dog population, prostatic disorders often go unnoticed, while these abnormalities are diagnosed more frequently in dogs presented for poor fertility evaluation (Polisca et al., ).…”

“…The computed tomography examination would allow more precise and repeatable measurements interobservers, but it is less accessible, more expensive and time‐consuming, and requires general anaesthesia (Pasikowska et al., ). On the other hand, the ultrasonographic examination of the canine prostate is non‐invasive and fast and so it remains the diagnostic imaging tool of choice for the evaluation of this organ (Mantziaras et al., ). Anyway, for all these reasons, as a clear threshold measure to identify the normal volume of the canine prostate dogs does not exist, in the present study, dogs were grouped in accordance with presence/absence of other ultrasonographical abnormal findings (i.e., altered appearance, borders, cysts).…”

“…Recently, it was suggested that, in dogs over the 40% of the maximum expected longevity for the breed, a preventive ultrasonographic screening programme would be advisable (Mantziaras et al., ). In that study, the authors reported a strong probability to detect prostatic abnormal findings by ultrasonographic examination irrespective of clinical evidence (Mantziaras et al., ).…”

“…Due to the increased attention that pet‐owners devote to their animals and to the improved veterinary care, investigations regarding methods to early detect prostatic disorders that might affect the life quality of the dogs have been performed (Levy, Nizanski, von Heimendahl, & Mimouni, ; Mantziaras, Alonge, Faustini, & Luvoni, ; Mukaratirwa & Chitura, ). The most relevant clinical diseases of the gland are benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), prostatic cysts, prostatitis and prostatic neoplasia (Johnston, Root‐Kustritz, & Olson, ).…”

“…The most relevant clinical diseases of the gland are benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), prostatic cysts, prostatitis and prostatic neoplasia (Johnston, Root‐Kustritz, & Olson, ). As the canine prostatic diseases are symptomless in their onset and difficult to be diagnosed in their early stage, most of the times they are recognized at advanced stage (Johnston, Kamolpatana, Root‐Kustritz, & Johnston, ; Mantziaras et al., ). In men, due to the improved diagnostic tools, such as the serum prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) test, the early recognition of subclinical cases (with no clinical symptoms) increases the incidence of diagnosed prostatic diseases (Mukaratirwa & Chitura, ).…”