Case Study

RAD – Nonspecific hepatomegaly, maldigestion and degenerative disc disease in a 10 year old FS Yorkshire Terrier

This 10 year old FS Yorkshire Terrier presented with cervical and back pain. GI issues.

DX

The ultrasonographic findings of the liver are unspecific and suggestive for a diffuse infiltrative disease such as vacuolar hepatopathy, hepatitis or a diffuse neoplastic infiltrate

Image Interpretation

A moderate amount of aerophagia is noted throughout the entire gastrointestinal tract with a mild amount of persistent gas within the gastric outlet. Mild generalized hepatomegaly is noted with caudodorsal rotation of the gastric pylorus. The intervertebral disc space and neuroforaminal area of T13/L1 and L4/5 present mild narrowing.

Outcome

Mild hepatomegaly
• Moderate chronic aerophagia vs. maldigestion pattern
• Degenerative disc disease T13/L1 and L4/5.
mild hepatomegaly is a common finding in dogs with a
chronic/intermittent hypoxic state which should be considered likely in a Yorkshire
Terrier when it has clinical signs of a tracheal collapse and no liver enzyme/bili rise.
Consider further ultrasonographic definition with sampling in case of increased liver
enzymes. The aerophagia may be due to pain, respiratory distress, stress or a combination of the
above. Since the patient presents with GI signs further definition with a full abdominal
ultrasound is warranted to rule out primary GI pathology with a maldigestion pattern. In case of neurologic deficits a full clinical neurologic workup is recommended with
consecutive cross sectional imaging (CT or MRI) of the pertinent neuroanatomic
region.