Ultrasonographic measurement of gallbladder wall thickness in fasted dogs without signs of hepatobiliary disease

Background Ultrasound‐determined gallbladder wall thickness is widely used to aid in the diagnosis of gallbladder disease, but no reference values supported by published measurement data are available in dogs. Hypothesis/Objective Establish normal thickness of the gallbladder wall in dogs. Animals F...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of veterinary internal medicine 2023-09, Vol.37 (5), p.1766-1771
Main Authors: Martinez, Carlos, Davies, Daniel, Hoey, Séamus, Shiel, Robert E., O'Neill, Emma J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Anesthesia
canine
Disease
Enzymes
Gallbladder
Gallbladder diseases
imaging
Internal medicine
Medical records
Normal distribution
reference interval
SMALL ANIMAL
Software
Ultrasonic imaging
ultrasonography
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Summary:Background Ultrasound‐determined gallbladder wall thickness is widely used to aid in the diagnosis of gallbladder disease, but no reference values supported by published measurement data are available in dogs. Hypothesis/Objective Establish normal thickness of the gallbladder wall in dogs. Animals Fifty‐three dogs presented to a referral hospital and required abdominal ultrasound examination for reasons unrelated to primary hepatobiliary disease. Methods Cross‐sectional observational study recruiting dogs requiring abdominal ultrasound examination. A standard sequence of gallbladder wall images was recorded for later review. Inclusion criteria were normal ultrasonographic hepatobiliary, pancreatic, and small intestinal findings. Exclusion was determined by 2 European College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ECVIM)‐certified veterinary internists blinded to gallbladder wall thickness data. Dogs were excluded if they had inadequate medical records, a previous history of hepatobiliary, gastrointestinal, or pancreatic disease likely to impact the biliary system (eg, chronic vomiting, nausea, jaundice, diarrhea), unexplained increases in liver enzyme activities, hypoalbuminemia, or ascites. Gallbladder wall thickness was determined by 2 European College of Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging (ECVDI)‐certified veterinary radiologists working together to generate a consensus for each dog. The final output was the maximum normal wall thickness for this population of dogs. Results The upper limit for gallbladder wall thickness in 53 fasted (8 hours) dogs
ISSN:0891-6640
1939-1676
DOI:10.1111/jvim.16810