Pure cystine and urate calculi can be clearly visible using survey digital radiography.

Cystine and urate calculi are considered nonradiopaque to faintly radiopaque. Two canine cases in which these types of calculi are radiopaque and clearly apparent in vivo on survey digital radiography are described. The densities of cystine and urate calculi, as determined in vitro with computed tomography, are compared to other pure calculi and mixed or compound calculi to further explore the relative attenuation characteristics.

Les calculs de cystine et d'urate purs peuvent être clairement visibles à l'aide de la radiographie numérique standard. Les calculs de cystine et d'urate sont considérés comme non radio-opaques à faiblement radio-opaques. Deux cas canins dans lesquels ces types de calculs sont radio-opaques et clairement apparents in vivo sur la radiographie numérique standard sont décrits. Les densités de calculs de cystine et d'urate, telles que déterminées in vitro par tomodensitométrie, sont comparées à d'autres calculs purs et des calculs mixtes ou composés pour explorer davantage les caractéristiques d'atténuation relatives.(Traduit par Dr Serge Messier).

Retrospective analysis of the effects of Blastomyces antigen concentration in urine and radiographic findings on survival in dogs with blastomycosis.

BACKGROUND: The Blastomyces antigen concentration in urine (BACU) test is used to diagnose blastomycosis and monitor treatment in dogs. It is unknown if a higher BACU is associated with shorter survival. OBJECTIVES: To determine if the magnitude of BACU before treatment is associated with survival in dogs with blastomycosis. ANIMALS: Fifty-two dogs with blastomycosis. METHODS: Retrospective case review. BACU, radiographic lung severity (RLS) score (0-4 scale), and survival time up to 1 year after diagnosis were obtained through medical record review of dogs with Blastomyces dermatitidis. RESULTS: The overall survival was: discharge, 87%; 1 week, 85%; 2 months, 74%; and 6 months, 69%. BACU correlated with RLS score (rs = 0.33, P = .02). BACU and RLS scores were lower in survivors to 2 months than nonsurvivors (average BACU difference of 2.5 ng/mL, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.2-4.8 ng/mL, P = .04; median RLS difference of 2; range, 0-4, P = .02). Dogs with BACU <5 ng/mL and dogs with mild (0-1) RLS scores had a greater proportion surviving than those with BACU >5 ng/mL (P = .03) and dogs with severe (3-4) RLS scores (P = .04). All dogs with a BACU <5 ng/mL or mild RLS score were alive at last follow-up (median, 365 days; range, 44-365 days). In all, 68.1% of other dogs survived to 2 months (95% CI, 54.8%-84.8%). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Dogs with lower BACU and RLS scores have improved survival; however, it is unclear what specific cutoffs should be used for prognosis.

Volumetric tumor response assessment is inefficient without overt clinical benefit compared to conventional, manual veterinary response assessment in canine nasal tumors.

Accurate assessment of tumor response to therapy is critical in guiding management of veterinary oncology patients and is most commonly performed using response evaluation criteria in solid tumors criteria. This process can be time consuming and have high intra- and interobserver variability. The primary aim of this serial measurements, secondary analysis study was to compare manual linear tumor response assessment to semi-automated, contoured response assessment in canine nasal tumors. The secondary objective was to determine if tumor measurements or clinical characteristics, such as stage, would correlate to progression-free interval. Three investigators evaluated paired CT scans of skulls of 22 dogs with nasal tumors obtained prior to and following radiation therapy. The automatically generated tumor volumes were not useful for canine nasal tumors in this study, characterized by poor intraobserver agreement between automatically generated contours and hand-adjusted contours. The radiologist's manual linear method of determining response evaluation criteria in solid tumors categorization and tumor volume is significantly faster (P < .0001) but significantly underestimates nasal tumor volume (P < .05) when compared to a contour-based method. Interobserver agreement was greater for volume determination using the contour-based method when compared to response evaluation criteria in solid tumors categorization utilizing the same method. However, response evaluation criteria in solid tumors categorization and percentage volume change were strongly correlated, providing validity to response evaluation criteria in solid tumors as a rapid method of tumor response assessment for canine nasal tumors. No clinical characteristics or tumor measurements were significantly associated with progression-free interval.