00649-A: MR Portography of Portosystemic Vascular Anomalies in Dogs

Grant Amount: $9,900

Patrick R. Gavin, DVM; Washington State University

July 1, 2005 - June 30, 2006

Sponsor(s): Scottish Terrier Club of America

Breed(s): -All Dogs

Research Program Area: Hepatic Disease

Abstract

Portosystemic vascular Anomalies (PSVAs), also known as shunts, defines a syndrome in which the portal blood bypasses the liver and enters systemic circlation. Life-threatening metabolic derangements occur if portal blood is not filtered throught the liver for detoxification of toxic metabolic byproducts produced or absorbed from the spleen and gastrointestinal system. The definitive diagnosis of PSVAs has been challenging due to the variability in location and the tortuosity of the PSVAs. The cross-sectional imaging techniques, like MR, are proposed to be highly accurate in delineating single intrahepatic, single extrahepatic, and multiple extrahepatic vessels. The goal of the project is to determine if MR can distinguish normal hepatic parenchyma from hepatic microvascular dysplasia.

Publication(s)

None at this time.