Dogs with intrahepatic portal hypertension of congenital cause have distinct diagnostic findings compared to dogs with chronic hepatitis-related portal hypertension.

Age, MCV, and hepatic ultrasonographic findings help differentiate congenital from chronic hepatitis-related portal hypertension in dogs.

This multi-institutional retrospective study compared diagnostic findings in 39 dogs with intrahepatic portal hypertension (PH) caused by congenital hepatic disease (n=16) versus chronic hepatitis (n=23). Dogs with chronic hepatitis were significantly older and demonstrated higher serum bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, and gamma-glutamyl transferase concentrations, along with lower serum albumin and platelet counts compared to dogs with congenital disease. Conversely, dogs with congenital disease exhibited lower mean corpuscular volume (MCV). On multivariable analysis, age and MCV remained independently significant. Hepatic parenchymal heterogeneity on abdominal ultrasound was more frequently documented in chronic hepatitis cases. While liver histopathology remains the gold standard for definitive diagnosis, the authors identified a combination of clinical parameters that may help differentiate these conditions when biopsy is unavailable. These parameters include patient age, MCV, serum albumin, platelet count, cholestatic enzyme activities, and hepatic ultrasonographic echotexture, potentially aiding clinicians in prognostic counseling and disease prioritization.

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