[Sonographic appearance of the canine kidney compared with pathologic-histologic morphology]

Aim of the present study was to evaluate the possibility whether the ultrasonographic appearance of the canine kidney can be attached to a specific histopathologic diagnosis. The sonographic examination was performed in 117 dogs that were presented in the Small Animal Clinic of Hannover Veterinary School, Germany, for euthanasia. After the euthanasia the kidneys were exenterated and evaluated pathohistologically in the Department of Pathology of Hannover Veterinary School. According to the sonographic changes the patients were classified into seven different groups and compared with the histopathologic findings. The results of this study demonstrate that it is currently not feasible to relate a gray-scale sonography image of a diffuse renal parenchymal alteration to a specific histopathologic diagnosis. It remains to be seen if it is possible to improve the renal ultrasonography with new diagnostic methods, e.g. color-doppler ultrasonography.