Clinical studies on shear wave elastography (SWE) of liver in healthy dogs

Shear wave elastography (SWE) has been documented as a useful tool for evaluating liver parenchyma in human medicine for diagnosis of chronic liver disorders including neoplasia. The aim of this study was to evaluate SWE of liver in healthy dogs. A total of 40 healthy dogs were included in this study. The most suitable acoustic windows for recording shear wave ultrasonography in dogs were established and documented on the basis of consistency of results, ease of recording SWE and animal compliance. The mean value of the SWE measurements of healthy liver in 40 dogs was 2.09±0.73 kPa for left liver lobes and 2.23±0.84 kPa for right liver lobes. The liver stiffness values obtained by SWE were not influenced by the gender and size of the animal. The mean value liver stiffness in dogs below 1 yr age group was significantly (Pd”0.01) lower than the dogs above 1 yr of age. It was concluded that left paracostal for left liver lobe in right lateral recumbency and right 11^th-12^th intercostal space for right liver lobe in left lateral recumbency were ideal windows for performing liver shear wave elastography in healthy dogs. The stiffness values of liver in healthy dogs range from 1.86-2.50 kPa.