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Article

Diagnostic Utility of Thoracic Radiography and Abdominal Ultrasonography in Canine Immune-Mediated Polyarthritis: 77 Cases

1
DWR Veterinary Specialists, Station Farm, London Road, Six Mile Bottom, Cambridgeshire CB8 0UH, UK
2
Hospital de Referencia Veterios, 28022 Madrid, Spain
3
KGS Veterinary Services Limited, Saffron Walden, Essex CB11 3GP, UK
4
FVSmedicine Limited, Cambourne, Cambridgeshire CB23 6DJ, UK
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Animals 2024, 14(4), 534; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14040534
Submission received: 2 January 2024 / Revised: 24 January 2024 / Accepted: 26 January 2024 / Published: 6 February 2024
(This article belongs to the Section Companion Animals)

Simple Summary

Immune-mediated polyarthritis (IMPA) is the most common disease affecting multiple joints in dogs. This study aimed to assess the utility of thoracic radiography and abdominal ultrasonography in canine IMPA and to assess whether abnormal findings influenced the overall case management of the patient at the time of diagnosis. Seventy-seven dogs were included. Thoracic radiography was considered not useful in the overall case management at the time of IMPA diagnosis in 70 cases, whilst abdominal ultrasonography was considered not useful in 57. Therefore, in the majority of the cases in this study, thoracic radiography and abdominal ultrasonography were considered not useful towards the overall case management at the time of initial diagnosis of IMPA.

Abstract

Thoracic radiography and abdominal ultrasonography are part of standard diagnostic investigations in cases of canine immune-mediated polyarthritis (IMPA). However, the clinical importance of thoracic and abdominal imaging towards the management of canine IMPA currently remains unknown. The primary aim of this study was to describe the findings documented on thoracic radiography and abdominal ultrasonography in dogs diagnosed with IMPA, and to evaluate the diagnostic utility of thoracic radiography and abdominal ultrasonography in the initial approach and management of these cases. Seventy-seven dogs diagnosed with IMPA who underwent thoracic radiography and abdominal ultrasonography at a single referral hospital between 2008 and 2022 were included. The diagnostic imaging studies of these 77 dogs were reviewed by one blinded board-certified diagnostic imaging specialist for quality assurance. The medical records, including the diagnostic imaging reports of these dogs, were then reviewed by three blinded board-certified internal medicine specialists. Using a modified version of a previous question and scoring system, the three internal medicine specialists then generated an answer for the overall diagnostic utility and a diagnostic utility score for thoracic radiography and abdominal ultrasonography for each case. The abnormal findings identified in radiography and ultrasonography were described. In the cases where the findings were considered significant enough to immediately affect the case management, the results of the further investigations that were subsequently performed were also described. No abnormalities were detected in thoracic radiography for 30 cases, and none were detected in abdominal ultrasound for 6. The majority of the internists considered thoracic radiography to be not useful in the overall case management at the time of IMPA diagnosis in 70 cases, and considered abdominal ultrasonography to be not useful in the overall case management in 57 cases. The majority of the internists agreed on the utility of thoracic radiography in 95% of the cases, and in 61% of the cases for abdominal ultrasonography. The most common finding in the thoracic radiography was a mild bronchial pulmonary pattern, and the most common in the abdominal ultrasonography was mild lymphadenomegaly. Therefore, although thoracic radiography and abdominal ultrasonography identified numerous abnormal findings in this population of dogs, in the majority of the cases, the findings were deemed not useful towards the overall case management at the time of the initial diagnosis of IMPA. Thus, the use of thoracic radiography and abdominal ultrasonography should be taken into careful consideration when considering initial diagnostic investigations for canine IMPA.
Keywords: immune-mediated polyarthritis; diagnostic utility; thoracic radiography; abdominal ultrasonography immune-mediated polyarthritis; diagnostic utility; thoracic radiography; abdominal ultrasonography

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MDPI and ACS Style

Tang, J.W.Y.; Saiz, A.; Vulpe, A.; Ribas Latre, A.; Furtado, R.; Seth, M.; Valls Sanchez, F. Diagnostic Utility of Thoracic Radiography and Abdominal Ultrasonography in Canine Immune-Mediated Polyarthritis: 77 Cases. Animals 2024, 14, 534. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14040534

AMA Style

Tang JWY, Saiz A, Vulpe A, Ribas Latre A, Furtado R, Seth M, Valls Sanchez F. Diagnostic Utility of Thoracic Radiography and Abdominal Ultrasonography in Canine Immune-Mediated Polyarthritis: 77 Cases. Animals. 2024; 14(4):534. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14040534

Chicago/Turabian Style

Tang, Julia W. Y., Anna Saiz, Alina Vulpe, Ariadna Ribas Latre, Rita Furtado, Mayank Seth, and Ferran Valls Sanchez. 2024. "Diagnostic Utility of Thoracic Radiography and Abdominal Ultrasonography in Canine Immune-Mediated Polyarthritis: 77 Cases" Animals 14, no. 4: 534. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14040534

APA Style

Tang, J. W. Y., Saiz, A., Vulpe, A., Ribas Latre, A., Furtado, R., Seth, M., & Valls Sanchez, F. (2024). Diagnostic Utility of Thoracic Radiography and Abdominal Ultrasonography in Canine Immune-Mediated Polyarthritis: 77 Cases. Animals, 14(4), 534. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14040534

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