Digital postprocessing analysis of prostatic perfusion in neutered dogs.

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Imaging
• Canine Urology
• Medical Physics

Background:

• B-mode ultrasound is standard for canine prostate evaluation, but malignancy detection is difficult.
• Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) aids prostatic perfusion assessment, yet interpretation can be subjective.
• Quantitative analysis of CEUS may enhance early prostate cancer detection in neutered dogs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess a postprocessing tool for quantitative CEUS analysis of the canine prostate.
• To obtain quantitative perfusion measurements in healthy neutered dogs.
• To investigate how body weight, age, and time since orchiectomy influence prostatic perfusion.

Main Methods:

• Twenty-three neutered dogs underwent B-mode and CEUS prostate examinations.
• Prostatic microcirculation was analyzed using Qontrast and ImageJ software.
• Measurements included perfusion peak intensity, time to peak, and vascularization ratio.

Main Results:

• Higher prostatic vascularization was observed in younger dogs compared to older dogs (P < .05).
• Smaller dogs showed increased vascularization compared to larger dogs (P < .05).
• Time since orchiectomy did not significantly impact prostatic perfusion (P > .05).

Conclusions:

• CEUS combined with ImageJ provides quantitative vascular perfusion analysis in canine prostates.
• This approach holds potential for improving diagnostic accuracy in andrological examinations.
• Quantitative CEUS may aid in the early detection of prostate neoplasia in neutered dogs.