Computed tomographic liver volumetry and hepatic attenuation in dogs with histologically confirmed cirrhosis compared with dogs without liver disease.

CT-derived liver volume, hepatic attenuation, and HPA:SPA ratio are significantly reduced in canine cirrhosis but are not individually diagnostic.

This retrospective, multi-institutional, cross-sectional study evaluated CT-derived liver volume and hepatic attenuation as quantitative diagnostic markers for canine cirrhosis. Eight dogs with histologically confirmed cirrhosis were compared against 121 control dogs without liver disease from a previously published reference interval cohort. Noncontrast CT images were used for manual hepatic volumetry, with liver volume normalized to body weight, alongside standardized hepatic parenchymal attenuation (HPA) and HPA-to-splenic parenchymal attenuation (SPA) ratio measurements. Dogs with cirrhosis demonstrated significantly lower weight-normalized liver volumes (16.5 ± 4.5 cm³/kg vs 22.8 ± 5.3 cm³/kg; P = .002), lower mean HPA (47.3 ± 9.6 HU vs 58.8 ± 6.2 HU; P = .001), and a lower HPA:SPA ratio (0.8 ± 0.1 vs 0.9 ± 0.1; P = .03). Qualitative findings in cirrhotic dogs included nodular parenchymal changes (4/8), acquired portosystemic shunts (2/8), and peritoneal effusion (3/8). The study suggests that reduced liver volume, diminished hepatic attenuation, and a lower HPA:SPA ratio collectively support CT-based recognition of cirrhosis in dogs. However, the authors caution that reduced liver volume alone should not be considered diagnostic given potential overlap with non-cirrhotic conditions. Limitations include the small cirrhosis cohort (n=8), retrospective design, and lack of contrast-enhanced phase analysis. These quantitative CT metrics may serve as useful adjuncts to histopathology and clinical assessment in suspected canine cirrhosis cases.

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