Liver scintigraphy in veterinary medicine.

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Nuclear Medicine
• Diagnostic Imaging
• Hepatobiliary System Evaluation

Background:

• Liver scintigraphy is the primary veterinary diagnostic tool for portosystemic shunts (PSSs).
• Nuclear medicine techniques for PSS diagnosis have evolved significantly since the 1980s.
• Transplenic portal scintigraphy is currently the preferred method for PSS diagnosis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To summarize the veterinary applications of hepatobiliary scintigraphy.
• To highlight its role in diagnosing portosystemic shunts (PSSs).
• To discuss its utility in assessing liver function and biliary patency.

Main Methods:

• Utilizes transplenic portal scintigraphy with pertechnetate or (99m)Tc-mebrofenin for PSS diagnosis.
• Employs hepatobiliary scintigraphy to evaluate liver function and biliary ductal patency.
• Incorporates deconvolutional analysis or plasma clearance measurements for hepatocellular function assessment.

Main Results:

• Transplenic portal scintigraphy demonstrates high sensitivity and specificity for PSS detection.
• Hepatobiliary scintigraphy complements ultrasound findings, aiding in differentiating current versus previous biliary obstruction.
• Hepatocellular function can be quantified through hepatic uptake analysis or plasma clearance rates.

Conclusions:

• Hepatobiliary scintigraphy is a valuable diagnostic modality in veterinary medicine.
• It provides essential anatomical and functional insights for liver and biliary diseases.
• The technique enhances diagnostic accuracy for conditions like portosystemic shunts.