Use of Contrast‐Enhanced Ultrasonography in Chronic Pathologic Canine Testes

Abstract

Contents Contrast‐enhanced ultrasound with sulphur hexafluoride microbubbles was performed in seven healthy dogs without a history of reproductive pathology and with histologically confirmed normal testes and in 42 dogs with chronic scrotal anomalies. All dogs underwent orchiectomy and histological examination. Enhancement patterns and perfusion parameters (peak intensity and regional blood flow) of testes of healthy dogs and testes with chronic lesions were compared. Fourteen non‐pathologic and 60 pathologic testes were considered. Forty testes were neoplastic (24 interstitial cell tumours, 9 seminomas, 7 Sertoli cell tumours), 20 were non‐neoplastic (16 testicular degenerations, 2 chronic orchitis, 1 testicular atrophy, 1 interstitial cell hyperplasia). In healthy dogs, the contrast medium flow had a rapid homogeneous wash‐in and wash‐out, with a short peak phase. With contrast ultrasound, testes that were inhomogeneous with a hyperenhancing pattern were associated with neoplasia (sensitivity: 87.5%, specificity: 100%). Lesions with persistent inner vessels and a hypo‐to‐isoechoic background were significantly associated with seminomas (sensitivity: 77.8%, specificity: 100%). Testes with non‐neoplastic lesions were characterized by a scant/moderate homogeneous enhancement. Perfusion parameters were higher in neoplastic lesions. Contrast ultrasound was a feasible diagnostic tool in the assessment of testicular lesions, with hyperenhancement being an important feature in the diagnosis of malignancy.

Evaluation of effectiveness of an innovative semen extender (Formula®) comparing with a traditional extender (Lepus®) for artificial insemination in rabbits does

“…Further investigations are needed to evaluate the reproductive efficiency after 48 and 72 h of storage. Nowadays, the scientific research in rabbit reproduction meat industry is lacking both in diagnostic imaging evaluation (Aksoy et al 2009;Volta et al 2014) as in the development of new innovative formulations to improve the shelf life of doses for AI and the reproduction efficiency. Recently, Gogol et al (2014) reported the effect of the GnRH analogue on the quality of rabbit spermatozoa stored at 17 C for 3 days.…”

Doppler and Contrast‐Enhanced Ultrasonography of Testicles in Adult Domestic Felines

“…In animals, the first study on the use of the technique was performed in dogs (Volta et al. ) in the evaluation of males with scrotal abnormalities; there are no studies on the technique in other species.…”

La ecografía del páncreas canino

“…This technique defines parameters related to homogeneous or heterogeneous filling of organs by microbubbles, mainly nodular areas within the abnormal tissue, enabling the classification of intensity patterns: high intensity (hyperenhanced), wherein the mass cannot be differentiated from the surrounding tissue (isoenhanced); and low intensity patterns (hypoenhanced) (36). It can also be used to evaluate vascular filling times, from the time of injection of the contrast in the bloodstream to the start of organ perfusion (wash-in); contrast peak (highlight), which is the highest moment of infusion; and total time of contrast output from the parenchyma (wash-out).…”

“…Esta técnica define parámetros relacionados con el llenado homogéneo o heterogéneo de órganos por microburbujas, principalmente áreas nodulares dentro del tejido anormal, permitiendo la clasificación de patrones de intensidad: alta intensidad (hiperenfavorecida), en la que la masa no puede ser diferenciada del tejido circundante (isoenfavorecida); y patrones de baja intensidad (hipo-enfavorecida) (36). También se puede utilizar para evaluar los tiempos de llenado vascular, desde el momento de la inyección del contraste en el torrente sanguíneo hasta el inicio de la perfusión de órganos (lavado); el pico de contraste (realce), que es el momento más alto de la infusión; y el tiempo total de salida de contraste del parénquima (lavado).…”