Veterinary radiology & ultrasound : the official journal of the American College of Veterinary Radiology and the International Veterinary Radiology Association
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Vet Radiol Ultrasound · Sep 2019
Triple-phased mesenteric CT angiography using a test bolus technique for evaluation of the mesenteric vasculature and small intestinal wall contrast enhancement in dogs.
Computed tomography angiography is widely used for the assessment of various mesenteric vascular and bowel diseases in humans. However, there are only few studies that describe CT angiography application to mesenteric vessels in dogs. In this prospective, experimental, exploratory study, the mesenteric vasculature and enhancement pattern of the intestinal wall were evaluated on triple-phase CT angiography, and improvement of the visibility of vasculature was assessed on multiplanar reformation, maximum intensity projection, and volume rendering technique. ⋯ All CT angiography images were of high quality, allowing for excellent visualization of the anatomy of mesenteric vasculature including the small branches, particularly on maximum intensity projection and volume rendering technique. Distinct contrast enhancement of the intestinal wall was observed in both intestinal and venous phases. Findings indicated that this technique is feasible for the evaluation of mesenteric circulation in dogs.