Computed tomographic appearance of canine thyroid tumours

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Radiology
• Canine Oncology
• Diagnostic Imaging

Background:

• Thyroid tumors are common in dogs, and accurate characterization is crucial for prognosis.
• Computed tomography (CT) is a valuable tool for evaluating neck masses in veterinary medicine.

Purpose of the Study:

• To detail the computed tomography (CT) imaging characteristics of canine thyroid tumors.
• To assess the diagnostic performance of CT in identifying tumor invasion and compare it with physical examination findings.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective analysis of medical records and neck CT scans from dogs diagnosed with thyroid tumors.
• Evaluation of CT features including tumor characteristics, location, margins, attenuation, mineralization, and invasion into surrounding structures.
• Correlation of CT findings with histopathological results and assessment of palpable mass mobility.

Main Results:

• Of 19 canine thyroid tumors, 17 were carcinomas and 2 were adenomas.
• CT revealed common features such as mineralization (n=12), heterogeneous attenuation (n=16), and unilateral presentation (n=16).
• CT identified invasion into surrounding structures in 8 cases, all of which were histopathologically invasive carcinomas. CT invasion had 70% sensitivity and 100% specificity for detecting histopathological invasion.

Conclusions:

• Computed tomography (CT) provides specific features for canine thyroid tumors, aiding in diagnosis and staging.
• CT evidence of invasion is highly specific for histopathological invasion, whereas palpable mass mobility is not a reliable indicator of invasion.