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Computed Tomographic Findings in Dogs with Hepatic Bacterial Parenchymal Infection and Abscessation
by
, , ,
Luis Maté de Haro
1,*
,
Andrea Vila
2,
Andrea Di Bella
1,
Claudia Mallol
3,
Carlo Anselmi
4,
Jose-Daniel Barreiro-Vazquez
5,
Danica Pollard
6,
Raquel Salgüero
7,
Ella Fitzgerald
2 and
Beatriz Moreno-Aguado
1 1
Southern Counties Veterinary Specialists, Independent Vetcare (IVC) Evidensia, Forest Corner Farm, Hangersley, Ringwood BH24 3JW, UK
2
Department of Clinical Sciences and Services, The Royal Veterinary College, University of London, Hertfordshire AL9 7TA, UK
3
Anderson Moores Veterinary Specialists, The Granary, Bunstead Barns, Poles Ln, Winchester SO21 2LL, UK
4
Blaise Veterinary Referral Hospital, Independent Vetcare (IVC) Evidensia, 1601 Bristol Road South, Longbridge, Birmingham B45 9UA, UK
5
Departamento de Anatomía, Produción Animal e Ciencias Clínicas Veterinarias, Facultade de Veterinaria, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Hospital Veterinario Universitario Rof Codina, Estrada da Granxa, 51, 27002 Lugo, Spain
6
Independent Researcher, The Rodhams, Rodham Road, Wisbech PE14 9NU, UK
7
Hospital Veterinario Veterios, C. de Arrastaria, 23, San Blas-Canillejas, 28022 Madrid, Spain
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Animals 2024, 14(23), 3399; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14233399
Submission received: 21 October 2024
/
Revised: 19 November 2024
/
Accepted: 23 November 2024
/
Published: 25 November 2024
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diseases of the Small and Large Intestine, Liver and Pancreas in Small Animals: Second Edition)
Simple Summary
Infections of the liver in dogs are rare, and their Computed Tomography (CT) characteristics have not been extensively described. In this study, we compare the CT characteristics of a population of 20 dogs diagnosed with liver infections with the reported features of this disease in human patients. All the patients but one showed discrete lesions in the liver on CT that resembled pyogenic abscesses in humans. In one case, diffuse liver changes were observed. Reported common features of liver infections in humans, such as the “cluster sign”, transient arterial segmental enhancement, rim enhancement, and intralesional gas, were observed in our patients. Features of pyogenic liver abscesses in CT in this population of dogs resemble those described for human patients.
Abstract
Bacterial liver parenchymal infections in dogs are rarely documented, and their imaging characteristics are scarce in the veterinary literature, especially in Computed Tomography (CT). This retrospective multicentric study aimed to describe the CT characteristics of parenchymal bacterial liver infection and abscessation in dogs and compare them with the human literature. Twenty dogs met the inclusion criteria. All dogs, except one, showed discrete hepatic lesions consistent with pyogenic liver abscess (19/20). A single case showed diffuse liver changes, which was diagnosed with granulomatous bacterial hepatitis (1/20). Multifocal lesions were associated with the presence of abdominal pain (p = 0.023). CT characteristics of pyogenic liver abscesses in our study resemble those described in the human literature, with multifocal (14/19) or single (5/19), round or ovoid (19/19), hypoattenuating hepatic lesions, which are better visualised in post-contrast images. Pyogenic liver abscesses can also show features such as the “cluster sign” (8/19), transient arterial segmental enhancement (6/10), rim enhancement (6/19), and intralesional gas (4/19). Additional CT findings, such as local lymphadenomegaly (18/20), peritoneal fat stranding (14/20), and peritoneal fluid (13/20), are also commonly observed.
Keywords:
computed tomography; canine; bacterial liver infection; liver abscess
