Dopplervelocimetric evaluation of portal vein as a diagnostic tool for portosystemic shunt diagnosis in dogsThe objective of this research was to verify if the study of portal hemodynamic parameters through duplex Doppler ultrasonography (DUS) is able to help to detect portosystemic shunt (PSS) and the shunted vessel origin. It was detected PSS in 20 dogs by abdominal DUS and confirmed at surgery or necropsy from March of 2004 until March 2007. Main ultrasonographic findings were: identification of a tortuous vessel shunting portal flow being: portocaval shunt (16/20 or 80%), esplenocaval shunt (2/20 or 10%), gastrocaval shunt (1/20 or 5%), portoazigo shunt (1/20 or 5%); 2) elevated portal flow velocity before shunt (17/20 or 81%), 3) lower portal flow velocity after shunt (17/20 or 81%), 4) turbulence in the caudal vena cava (10/20 or 47,5%) and 5) reduced liver size (15/20 or 71%). The others ultrasonographic findings associated with clinical records were similar to that described in literature. With this work we could conclude that hemodynamic assessment of portal vein with DUS may be a useful tool for PSS diagnosis and to detect the shunted vessel origin.
ultrasonography; Doppler; portosystemic shunt; dog
