ULTRASONOGRAPHIC APPEARANCE OF THE CISTERNA CHYLI IN THE DOG
Etienne A.-L.*, Cavrenne R.*, Garcia A.**, Busoni V.*
*Diagnostic Imaging Section, **Internal Medicine Section, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liège, Boulevard de Colonster, 20, Bât. B41, Sart-Tilman, 4000 Liège, Belgium
Introduction/Aims
The cisterna chyli (CC) isa dilated and bipartite portion of the lymphatic channels coursing intimatelyalong the abdominal aorta in theretroperitoneal space.1The appearance of the CC of the dog has been describedon magnetic resonance imaging.2The aim of this poster is to describe the ultrasonographic appearance of the CC in 2 dogs with chylous ascitis and in 2healthy dogs.
Methods
Abdominal ultrasonography was realised with a 7.5MHz microconvex transducer.A right or left lateral dorsal approach was used. The aorta (together with the cranialmesenteric artery in normal dogs) was used as the main landmark to localize the CC. The dogs with chylous ascites were a 4 year old female american cocker spaniel, with immune-mediated hemolytic anemia and thrombocytopenia and a1 year old,spayed female whippetwith recurrent pancreatitis. The 2 healthy dogs were a 7 year old Beagle and a 9 year old Jack Russell. The abdominal ultrasonography was realised within2 hours after the meal in the healthy dogs.
Results
The CC was seenas a hypoechoic structure,without detectable flow, dorsal and to the right of the aorta. The CC was easily visible in the 2 dogs with chyloabdomen while it was more difficult to localize in the healthy dogs. The CCwas tubular on the longitudinal images. On transverse images, the CC is elliptic or semilunar and may partially surround the aorta.The maximal width of the CC measured on transverse images varied from 2-3mm in the 2 healthy dogs to 4-8mm in the 2 dogs with chyloabdomen. In 3 patients some efferent/afferent lymphatic vessels were seen as thin hypoechoic tubes converging on the CC.Shapeand size of the CC in the same animal were seen varying during the same ultrasonography or between different exams.
Discussion/Conclusion
The CC is visible by ultrasonography in dogs. Its visibility depends on different conditions likedisease of the lymphatic system3, quality and distance of the meal.
R1
REFERENCES
1.AJ.Bezuidenhout. Miller's anatomy of the dog. Philadelphia: WB Saunders Company, 1993.
2.Johnson VS, Seiler G. Magnetic resonance imaging appearance of the Cisterna chyli. Vet Radiol Ultrasound. 2006;47: 461-464.
3.Wachsberg RH. Ultrasonography of the retrocrural region: normal and pathological findings. Ultrasound Q. 2006;22: 281-290.