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. 2024 May;25(3):e37.
doi: 10.4142/jvs.24038.

Computed tomographic evaluation of portal vein indices in cats with the extrahepatic portosystemic shunts

Eunji Jeong  1 , Jin-Young Chung  1 , Jin-Ok Ahn  1 , Hojung Choi  2 , Youngwon Lee  2 , Kija Lee  3 , Sooyoung Choi  4
Affiliations

Computed tomographic evaluation of portal vein indices in cats with the extrahepatic portosystemic shunts

Eunji Jeong et al. J Vet Sci. 2024 May.

Abstract

Importance: The portal vein to aorta (PV/Ao) ratio is used to assess the clinical significance of extrahepatic portosystemic shunt (EHPSS). Previous studies using computed tomography (CT) were conducted in dogs but not in cats.

Objective: This study aimed to establish normal reference values for PV indices (PV/Ao ratio and PV diameter) in cats and determine the usefulness of these for predicting symptomatic EHPSS.

Methods: This study included 95 dogs and 114 cats that underwent abdominal CT. The canine normal (CN) group included dogs without EHPSS. The cats were classified into feline normal (FN, 88/114), feline asymptomatic (FA, 16/114), and feline symptomatic (FS, 10/114) groups. The PV and Ao diameters were measured in axial cross-sections.

Results: The group FN had a higher PV/Ao ratio than the group CN (p < 0.001). Within the feline groups, the PV indices were in the order FN > FA > FS (both p < 0.001). The mean PV diameter and PV/Ao ratio for group FN were 5.23 ± 0.77 mm and 1.46 ± 0.19, respectively. The cutoff values between groups FN and FS were 4.115 mm for PV diameter (sensitivity, 100%; specificity, 97.7%) and 1.170 for PV/Ao ratio (90%, 92.1%). The cutoff values between group FA and FS were 3.835 mm (90%, 93.8%) and 1.010 (70%, 100%), respectively.

Conclusions and relevance: The results demonstrated significant differences in PV indices between dogs and cats. In cats, the PV/Ao ratio demonstrated high diagnostic performance for symptomatic EHPSS. The PV diameter also performed well, in contrast to dogs.

Keywords: CT; PSS; PV diameter; PV/Ao ratio; feline.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1. Receiver operating characteristic curves to differentiate cats in the FN and FS groups.
PV, portal vein; Ao, aorta.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2. Receiver operating characteristic curves to differentiate cats in the FA and FS groups.
PV, portal vein; Ao, aorta.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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