Use of contrast‐enhanced computed tomography to detect kidney infarction in dogs

Abstract

Background Kidney infarction is a renovascular disease diagnosed by contrast‐enhanced computed tomography (CECT) in humans. Objectives To describe the frequency of kidney infarction and to determine the detection of kidney infarction with CECT in dogs. Animals Eight hundred and twenty‐six abdominal CECT studies of 826 dogs. Methods A cross‐sectional retrospective study. Dogs with abdominal CT scans including CECT were retrospectively retrieved. Kidney infarction was classified into 3 grades based on the extent of infarction relative to total kidney area. The location and number of kidney infarctions in each kidney were expressed as number and percentage. The ability of visualization of kidney infarction in each multiplanar reconstruction (MPR) image plane was evaluated by agreement of 2 observers. Results The frequency of kidney infarction in dogs was 3.15% (26/826 dogs; 95% CI = 2.05‐4.61). Most kidney infarctions were classified as grade 1, or the lesions were less than 25% of the kidney (47/56, 83.93%) and most were detected at the caudal pole of the kidney (31/56, 55.35%) on the sagittal plane. On MPR image planes, the sagittal plane had the highest proportion (34/56, 60.71%) of excellent visual category to detect kidney infarction. Conclusions and Clinical Importance The CECT, especially the sagittal plane, is a useful diagnostic tool for the detection of kidney infarction in dogs.

Comparison of sonographic and CT findings for the identification of renal nodules in dogs and cats

“…According to the Bosniak classification used in human radiology, simple renal cysts were defined as well‐marginated, fluid‐attenuating (0‐20 Hounsfield Units, HU), non‐enhancing homogeneous lesions with a hairline‐thin wall and confirmed in US as round to oval, anechoic, homogeneous, smooth, and sharply demarcated thin wall structures associated with distal acoustic enhancement and surrounded by normal renal parenchyma 17,18 . Renal infarctions were defined as wedge‐shaped, cortical broad‐based, hyperechoic bands in US and as wedge‐shaped parenchyma perfusion defect, with or without a cortical rim sign, without mass effect, or major peri‐renal fat stranding lesions in CT, eventually associated with irregular shape and focal cortical atrophy in the chronic phase 19,20 …”