Ultrassonografia modo-B, doppler e elastografia de deformação em cadelas com piometra para avaliação de lesão renal aguda

Abstract

Conventional ultrasonography provides a detailed morphological evaluation of the kidneys. When combined with complementary techniques such as Doppler and elastography, this tool expands its functionalities, offering a more comprehensive analysis of tissue vascularization and elasticity. However, studies correlating these ultrasonographic methods with histopathological findings in patients with acute kidney injury (AKI) are scarce in the scientific literature. This study aimed to assess the applicability of B-mode ultrasonography, Doppler, and strain elastography as complementary tools for the early diagnosis of AKI in bitches with pyometra. Twenty female dogs diagnosed with pyometra, attended at the Veterinary Hospital of the Federal University of Uberlandia, underwent clinical, physical, laboratory, ultrasonographic, and histopathological evaluations. B-mode ultrasonography was used to assess kidney morphology (echotexture, echogenicity, corticomedullary ratio, kidney-to-aorta length ratio, and surface). Doppler ultrasound enabled the evaluation of vascular integrity by providing values for systolic and diastolic velocities and resistive index. Elastography analyzed tissue stiffness distribution using elastograms, where green, blue, and red regions were quantified via ImageJ software. Based on histopathological findings, the subjects were categorized into two groups according to lesion severity: mild and severe. Statistically significant differences were observed in platelet count (p = 0.04), urinary protein-to-creatinine ratio (UPCR) (p = 0.0004), and elastography (p = 0.018) between the groups. These findings suggest that elastography holds promise as a complementary tool for AKI diagnosis, highlighting the need for further studies to explore its broader applicability.