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Ultrasound
examination of the Liver
in dogs and cats
A practical guide to the ultrasonographic study of the liver in domestic animals with
a discussion of echostructural features, pathological aspects and vascular and biliary
tract abnormalities.

Dr. Laura Martinelli DVM, Msc – Internal Medicine Department, Milan University

Introduction
The anatomy of the liver is quite similar in the dog and cat. It
is composed of several lobes, which are barely distinguishable
from each other except where peritoneal effusion is present.
The lobes are the left lateral and medial, the quadrate, the
caudate, and the right lateral and medial. (Fig. 1)
15 2

14
15 12
3
3 16
13 2 9
5
1 20
4 44 25 22 21 17
4
12 8 19 10
10 5 6 17
9 1 18
11 8 11
24 5 Ultrasound examination is performed using medium and low
7 23
frequency probes, although in the cat it is often possible to
6
scan the liver with high frequency linear probes that provide
Fig. 1 Liver anatomy of the diaphragmatic surface (left) and visceral surface (right)2 excellent image resolution.
1 Coronary ligament 14 Left medial lobe
To examine the liver as a whole, transverse and longitudinal
2 Gallbladder 15 Quadrate lobe
3 Right medial lobe 16 Gastric impression scans are performed using a retrosternal approach. However,
4 Hepatic vein 17 Hepatic branches in large, deep-chested dogs an intercostal approach is often
5 Right lateral lobe 18 Hepatic artery necessary (Fig. 2).
6 Caudate process of caudate lobe 19 Portal vein
7 Right triangular ligament 20 Bile duct
8 Caudal vena cava 21 Right gastric artery
9 Papillary process of caudate lobe 22 Gastroduodenal artery
10 Lesser omentum 23 Renal impression
11 Left triangular ligament 24 Hepatorenal ligament
12 Left lateral lobe 25 Duodenal impression
13 Falciform ligament

Fig. 2 Normal liver in sagittal (A) and transverse (B) section

Under normal conditions, the liver extends to the right until it

comes into contact with the cranial pole of the right kidney and
to the left until it comes into contact with the most cranial portion
of the spleen. It is more hypoechogenic than both organs. (Fig. 3).

2
2
 Diagnostic differentials for alterations in hepatic volume

Diffuse Focal or asymmetrical Small liver

hepatomegaly hepatomegaly

Steroid hepatopathy Primary or metastatic Congenital

neoplasia portosystemic
Lipidosis
shunting
Abscess
Hepatitis or
Microvascular
cholangiohepatitis Cyst(s)
dysplasia or
Passive congestion Granuloma primary portal vein
hypoplasia
Round-cell Thrombosis
neoplasia: Cirrhosis
Lobar torsion
Fig. 3 A-Sagittal section of the right hepatic lobe (L) in contact with the cranial lymphoma,
Fibrosis
pole of the right kidney (RK), D duodenum; B-Tip of the left hepatic lobe (L) near malignant Hematoma
the spleen (S) histiocytosis, and Severe
mast cells hypovolemia
Massive
Changes in liver volume hepatocellular
carcinoma or
The size of the liver is very difficult to assess objectively. metastases
Since ultrasound allows a sectoral view, the last pair of ribs,
Amyloidosis
the costal arch, the relationships with the surrounding organs,
and the shape of the tips of the hepatic lobes are usually Fig. 5 Possible differential diagnoses for the various changes in liver volume1
taken as a reference. An enlarged liver will extend significantly
caudally to the last pair of ribs and the costal arch, may be in
contact or close to the bladder, and will have rounded edges Changes in echogenicity
(Fig. 4). It is also usually possible to draw up a list of several
possible differential diagnoses for increased or reduced liver
and echostructure
volume, but a definitive diagnosis cannot be formed on the Alterations in the echogenicity and echostructure of the
basis of ultrasound examination alone.1 (Fig. 5) parenchyma can be divided into diffuse and focal depending
on how the organ is affected. In both cases, ultrasound is
highly sensitive but poorly specific, making a diagnosis
impossible.3–5

Diffuse liver disease

Diffuse disease may result in a homogeneous increase in
echogenicity, a decrease in echogenicity, or evidence of
inhomogeneous echogenicity, which is difficult to attribute to
the primary cause but allows a list of possible etiologies to be
drawn up. (Fig. 6).

Fig. 4 Examples of increased (A) and reduced (B) liver volume

3 Ultrasound examination of the Liver in dogs and cats

 Diagnostic differentials for diffuse alterations
in hepatic parenchymal echogenicity

Diffuse Diffuse Mixed

hyperechogenicity hypoechogenicity echogenicity

Steroid hepatopathy Passive congestion Steroid

hepatopathy
Lipidosis Acute hepatitis or
associated with
cholangiohepatitis
Other vascular benign hyperplasia,
hepatopathies Lymphoma or other
combinations of
Chronic hepatitis Histiocytic neoplasm processes
Fibrosis Amyloidosis Hepatitis
Cirrhosis Fig. 9 A-Hypoechogenic liver with increased volume in a patient with hepatitis; B-
Lymphoma
Liver with parenchyma showing inhomogeneous echogenicity due to degenerative
Lymphoma Metastasis liver disease associated with nodular hyperplasia
Mast cell tumor Necrosis
Given the poor reliability of ultrasound examination in
Amyloidosis distinguishing between different liver diseases, it is always
advisable to take all the ultrasound signs into consideration, to
Fig. 6 Possible differential diagnoses for the various alterations in liver echogenicity1
examine all the abdominal structures as a whole and to assess
the ultrasound findings in relation to the hematochemical
Some examples of hyperechogenicity and hypoechogenicity
tests and, whenever possible, to take samples.6
of the liver parenchyma are shown below, diagnosed
by comparing them with the echogenicity of the splenic The first test to consider is undoubtedly cytology, which is
parenchyma and renal cortex (Fig. 7, 8, 9). minimally invasive and can be carried out with a non-sedated
patient. Surgical preparation of the field and the use of 20-22G
needles is recommended. The risks are generally low in non-
thrombocytopenic patients and bleeding is the most common
complication, also in view of the fact that non-normal tissues
can be more friable and that hepatopathic patients may have
coagulation deficits. Cytology exam results are generally
diagnostic in cases of lipidosis, vacuolar hepatopathy, round
cell tumors, and suppurative hepatitis.1,7,8
All other diagnoses require a biopsy, which can be performed
ultrasound-guided with the patient under general anesthesia
and after performing a coagulation test. Semi-automatic
14-18G Tru-cut needles are normally used to perform this
Fig.  7 A-Hyperecogenic liver, with rounded edges due to steroid-induced procedure following surgical preparation of the patient.1
hepatopathy; B-Hyperecogenic liver following neoplastic infiltration (lymphoma),
note the attenuation of distal echoes secondary to the increase in organ
The procedure is strongly discouraged in cats because of the
consistency shock, possibly lethal, caused by the cutting needle.9

Focal hepatic lesions

Ultrasonography is a highly sensitive examination for
the diagnosis of focal hepatic lesions, which can differ
in appearance and size but unfortunately, as for diffuse
parenchymal changes, it is poorly specific in characterizing
them.1.5
For this reason, it is only possible to produce a list of potential
differential diagnoses that can be linked to the characteristics
of the lesion examined, as explained in Figure 10.

Fig. 8 Hypoechogenic liver due to amyloidosis in sagittal (A) and transverse (B)
scan

4
 Diagnostic differentials for local hepatic lesions
with ultrasonography

Anechoic Hypoechoic Hyperechoic Mixed

echogenicity
Cyst Nodular Nodular Nodular
hyperplasia hyperplasia hyperplasia
Cystic tumor
Metastasis Primary Primary
Necrosis neoplasia neoplasia
Lymphoma
Abscess Metastasis Metastasis
Primary hepatic
neoplasia Mineralization Abscess
Hematoma or cholelithiasis
Abscess Hematoma
Abscess Fig. 12 A-Inhomogeneous focal lesion (green arrow) diagnosed as metastasis of
Necrosis splenic hemangiosarcoma; B-Target-like focal lesion (purple arrow) diagnosed as
Fat or metastasis of carcinoma
Hematoma
myelolipoma
Complex cyst For more specific characterization of focal hepatic lesions, in
Granuloma
addition to cytological and histological sampling, contrast-
Gas
enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) examinations can be performed,
Metallic clip which, in human medicine, have a sensitivity comparable to
Fig. 10 Differential diagnoses of focal hepatic lesions1 contrast-enhanced CT scans and a higher specificity than
cytology.11
However, there are some criteria associated with the possible
malignancy of the lesion examined: its size is greater than Ultrasound contrast agents are microbubbles of gas
3  cm, the presence of peritoneal effusion, the target-like encapsulated in a phospholipid membrane that are injected
aspect, concomitant changes in other organs and the lymph intravenously and remain almost completely within the
nodes.5,10 vascular compartment, reaching and thus allowing the
visualization of even the smallest capillaries. Their gaseous
Examples of focal liver lesions diagnosed by cytological or component is eliminated through respiration, while the
histological examination are provided below (Fig. 11 and 12). capsule is eliminated through the biliary tract. Side effects are
rare and mild, with vomiting and collapse occurring in 1% of
canine and 0% of feline patients.
They require dedicated technologies and probes in order to
be visualized. They can be administered without the need for
sedation, generally in an amount ranging from 0.1 to 1 ml per
patient, followed by a small volume of saline solution, inside a
peripheral venous catheter.1
They are used primarily in the examination of the liver, for the
detection and characterization of focal lesions, mainly due to
the distinctive vascularization of this organ.
Malignant focal lesions have a faster wash-in and wash-out
Fig.  11 A-Hypoechogenic focal lesion (yellow arrow); B-Hyperechogenic focal than the surrounding parenchyma because they draw their
lesion (red arrow) blood support primarily from the hepatic artery, and are
therefore easily highlighted and characterized by the contrast
agent. (Fig. 13 and 14).11

5 Ultrasound examination of the Liver in dogs and cats

 Arterial phase Portal phase Late phase
Type
(10-20 sec) (30-45 sec) (>120 sec)
Hemangioma Globular Centripetal iso-/hyper-
enhancement filling enhancement

Focal nodular Hyper- Moderately iso-

hyperplasia enhancement hyper-/iso- enhancement
Benign

spoke wheel enhancement scar (40%)

appearance
centrifugal
filling

Hepatocellular Hyper- Transition iso-

adenoma enhancement enhancement

Hepatocellular Hyper- Iso-/slightly Hypo-

carcinoma enhancement hypo- enhancement
enhancement

Metastasis, Hyper- Iso-/slightly Strong hypo-

hypervascular enhancement hypo- enhancement
Malignant

with/without enhancement
central
necrosis

Metastasis, No Iso-/slightly Strong hypo-

hypovascular enhancement hypo- enhancement
or peripheral enhancement
rim

Time ranges in the parentheses are the delayed time for each imaging
after contrast agent injection

Fig. 13 Phases of acquisition of ultrasound contrast medium by the various focal

lesions

Fig. 14 Hepatic focal lesion larger than 3 cm, hypercaptant in early phase, with
transition phase followed by isoechogenic captation with respect to the remaining
parenchyma in delayed phase, diagnosed as adenoma.

6
 Fig. 15 Gallbladder of a canine patient filled with biliary sludge

Gallstones are generally an occasional finding, but may

be associated with inflammation of the biliary system in
feline patients. They are visualized as neoformations with
a hyperechogenic and reflective surface and a posterior
acoustic shadow. (Fig. 16)

Fig. 14 Multiple focal hepatic lesions (arrows), inconspicuous or not evident in

B-mode, hypocaptant with respect to the hepatic parenchyma in delayed phase
and diagnosed as metastases of splenic hemangiosarcoma, G: gallbladder

Biliary tract diseases

The biliary system is relatively similar in the dog and cat, in
which the gallbladder may appear bilobed. Under normal
conditions the intrahepatic bile ducts are not visualized, nor
is the common bile duct, except for its outlet at the level of
the duodenal papilla.
The chief indications for ultrasound examination of the
biliary tract are the search for sludge, stones, mucoceles,
obstructions, inflammatory processes, and neoplasms.
Fig. 16 Cholecystolithiasis
Biliary sludge (Fig. 15) is a common finding in dogs, where it
is found in a significant number of asymptomatic patients. In Biliary mucocele is a typical disease of small to medium-
cats it may be associated with increased liver enzymes and sized dogs in old age. It is the progressive accumulation of
bilirubin.1 mucus associated with hyperplasia of the mucus-secreting
epithelium (Fig. 17), which results in overdistension of the
organ, with possible subsequent parietal necrosis. Blockages
of mucus may detach, enter the common bile duct and cause
obstruction. For these reasons, it is essential to assess the
possible presence of biliary mucocele complications, such as
rupture and subsequent biliary peritonitis or occlusion of the
common bile duct.1

7 Ultrasound examination of the Liver in dogs and cats

Fig. 17 Mucocele in different stages, note the detached mucus block (arrow) and
the radiated aspect of the mature mucocele (C)

Obstruction of the biliary tract can also be caused by the

Fig. 19 Gallbladder with thickened and hyperechogenic wall
presence of neoplasms, for example in the duodenal papilla,
as can be seen in Fig. 18. The duodenal papilla appears
severely thickened, hyperechogenic, with obvious presence Abnormalities of the vascular system
of blood vessels on Doppler examination.
The afferent hepatic vasculature gets 70% of its blood supply
from the portal vein and the remaining 30% from the hepatic
artery. The efferent system, on the other hand, carries waste
blood through the hepatic veins to the caudal vena cava.
Within the liver parenchyma, the portal vessels can be
distinguished from the hepatic vessels by their hyperechogenic
walls. (Fig. 20)

Fig. 18 Neoplastic duodenal papilla (arrow)

Inflammatory processes affecting the biliary tract usually cause

thickening of the gallbladder wall (>1 mm) which, in acute cases,
presents a double-track aspect or increased echogenicity
(Fig.  19) Since it may be caused by an ascending infection
from the gastrointestinal tract, cholecystocentesis has both
diagnostic and therapeutic value in cases of overdistension of Fig. 20 Hepatic and portal vessels
the organ. It is important to perform the cholecystocentesis
passing through a portion of liver parenchyma to limit the The portal vein can be seen in the central abdominal portion,
damage caused by biliary extravasation and using 22G ventrally and laterally on the right side of the aorta. It has
needles.1 a relatively constant hepatic flow, with fluctuations due to
respiration. A ratio of 0.71-1.25 between the transverse
diameter of the portal vein and the aorta is generally considered
normal. At the level of the porta hepatis, the portal flow
velocity is measured using a sample volume of approximately

8
half the diameter of the vessel and a correction angle of no
more than 60° (Fig.  21). The normal ranges of portal flow A B
velocity are 15+/–3 to 18+/–8 cm/s in the dog and 10 to 18
cm/s in the cat. These ranges are quite wide because the flow
velocity can easily be estimated inaccurately.1
PV PV

splenic vein splenic vein

CVC CVC

Extrahepatic portocaval shunt Extrahepatic portoazygos shunt

C D

CVC
PV
PV splenic
vein
CVC
CrM
Ao Jejunal
veins Splenorenal
Fig. 21 Normal portal flow shunt

Intrahepatic shunt patent ductus venosus Portal hypertension

Portal-systemic shunts (PSS) are abnormal vascular and acquired portosystemic shunts
communications and are divided into congenital and acquired.
The former are newly formed vessels that connect the portal Fig. 22 Congenital extrahepatic shunts (A and B), congenital intrahepatic left-
divisional shunt (C), multiple acquired shunts (D)1
system to the systemic circulation, via the caudal vena cava or
azygos vein and are most often single. They are divided into
Ultrasound-guided search for porto-systemic shunts has
extrahepatic and intrahepatic. Congenital extrahepatic PSS
severe limitations and therefore it is essential to be systematic.
are more typical of small dog breeds and cats. They usually
This is why it is schematized in 10 steps.13
originate from the portal vein or one of its tributaries and
flow into the caudal vena cava and are typically large vessels Ascites and edema
distinguished by hepatofugal flow. Congenital intrahepatic
PSS are more typical of large dog breeds. They generally The presence of portal hypertension is suspected in the
originate from a hepatic vein and flow into the caudal vena presence of hepatofugal flow or when the flow velocity is less
cava, and are classified as left-divisional, right-divisional, and than 10 cm/s and this may result in peritoneal effusion and/or
central-divisional. edema of the gastric wall, gallbladder, and pancreas. (Fig. 23)

Acquired PSS, on the other hand, are pre-existing collateral

vessels that connect the portal system to the systemic
circulation and open up due to portal hypertension. Portal
hypertension may result from chronic liver disease that reduces
parenchyma compliance, reduced portal vein compliance,
portal hypoplasia or portal thrombosis, the presence of an
arterio-portal fistula or extraluminal compression of the portal
vein. They appear as multiple tortuous vessels visible along
the splenic profile, near the left renal vein, in the mesentery
or around the caudal vena cava.1

Fig. 23 A-ventrally to the spleen (S) and to a digiunal loop (I) we can observe the
pancreas (P) hypoechogenic, with increased volume and a striated appearance;
B-Edema of the wall of the gallbladder (arrow) - note the irregular profile of the
liver and the presence of ascites (E)

9 Ultrasound examination of the Liver in dogs and cats

Liver size
In the presence of PSS, liver volume appears reduced but with
echogenicity and echostructure preserved. This contrasts
with liver volume reductions secondary to fibrosis/cirrhosis, in
which the liver also appears hyperechogenic/heterogeneous,
irregular, or nodular. (Fig. 24)

Fig. 26 PV: portal vein, CVC: caudal vena cava, Ao: aorta, HA: hepatic artery, LN:
lymph node.1

Portal flow
Fig. 24 Liver with reduced volume due to PSS (A) and hyperechogenic liver with
reduced volume due to fibrosis (B) As previously illustrated, portal flow is normally hepatopetal
and has a velocity of approximately 15-20 cm/s in the dog and
Portal vessels and aberrant vessels 10-18 cm/s in the cat. Reduction below 10 cm/s indicates the
presence of portal hypertension, the causes of which must be
Intrahepatic portal vessels generally appear reduced in caliber thoroughly investigated.
in cases of PSS and portal vein hypoplasia, while in some cases
the aberrant vessel can be seen within the liver parenchyma. Portal vein tributaries
(Fig. 25)
Under normal conditions, all tributary veins of the portal vein
should be smaller in diameter than the portal itself.

Turbulence in the caudal vena cava

Portocaval shunts cause an increase in the caliber of the
caudal vena cava at their point of entry, associated with
turbulence in the flow, which can be identified using color
Doppler. (Fig. 27)

Fig. 25 Reduced intrahepatic portal vessels (white arrow) and intrahepatic shunt
(red arrow), G: gallbladder

Portal vein diameter

As mentioned above, the ratio between the diameter of the
portal vein and the aorta is normally between 0.71 and 1.25.
If this is reduced, the presence of an extrahepatic shunt or
portal hypoplasia is suspected (Fig. 26). Conversely, if it is
increased, the presence of an intrahepatic shunt or portal
hypertension is suspected.
Fig. 27 Entry point of a portocaval shunt

10
Azygos vein
Under normal conditions, the azygos vein is not visible with
ultrasound, but evidence of an additional vessel running along
the aorta with cranially directed flow should prompt suspicion
of a porto-azygos shunt.

Nephromegaly and urolithiasis

The existence of a PSS causes liver failure, which may result
in a deficiency of the enzyme urate oxidase and subsequent
formation of ammonium urate crystals. Another common
finding is an increase in renal volume, for which several
etiological hypothesis have been proposed.

Acquired portosystemic shunts

The presence of multiple tortuous vessels, most frequently
evident caudally at the caudal pole of the left kidney, is an Fig. 29 Yellow arrows: caudal vena cava, red arrows: portal vein, purple arrows:
cranial splenic vein, blue arrows: right gastric vein/loop, green arrows: left gastric
indication of the opening of PSS, the primary cause of which
vein/shunt.
must be investigated. (Fig. 28)14 Courtesy of Prof. Davide Zani, Department of Radiology, Lodi University Veterinary
Hospital, University of Milan

Conclusions
Ultrasonography is an excellent method for examining
the liver, allowing good visualization without the need for
sedation of the patient, especially when interpreted with the
background of hematochemical tests.
However, the limits of its specificity must be borne in mind
and the possibility of taking samples or further investigation
with the use of contrast media or second level imaging
techniques must always be considered.

Fig. 28 Multiple tortuous vessels (arrow) caudal to the caudal pole of the left
kidney (LK)

When examining a patient with suspected portosystemic

shunt, the limitations of ultrasound technique must always
be considered. Therefore, a second level diagnostic must
always be taken into account, such as CT angiography, which
allows highly accurate localization and characterization of
the vascular anomaly, especially with a view to its surgical
resolution.15,16 (Fig. 29)

11 Ultrasound examination of the Liver in dogs and cats

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