Quantitative noninvasive assessment of liver size in clinically normal dogs

Measurements of liver size were made from radiographs of 16 clinically normal anesthetized dogs. Two measurements were made from each of 3 views: right and left lateral and ventrodorsal. Each measurement was correlated with liver weight and volume. Liver weight and volume were also correlated with both measurements from the same radiograph multiplied together. All measurements, with the exception of ventrodorsal depth, correlated significantly (P less than 0.05) with liver weight and volume. The multiplication of the 2 measurements made from the right lateral radiograph correlated most highly with liver weight. These data were then compared with those from similar studies involving liver measurements obtained from nuclear scintigraphic and ultrasonographic scans on the same dogs. The radiographic measurements made from the right lateral view had the highest correlation with liver weight, followed by the nuclear scintigraphic measurements made from the same position.