Case Study: CT - Portosystemic shunt
Olly, a one year old Pug, was referred to us with a history of recently having difficulties in passing urine. His primary care vet had taken a urine sample and run some blood tests, and had identified that he also had a liver problem. It was found that Olly had bladder stones, but as he was still quite a young dog, our concern was that these stones may be of a type that can form as a result of disturbed metabolism encountered when a dog is born with a congenital abnormality of the blood supply to the liver (a portosytemic shunt). We recommended that 'Olly' should have a CT scan, which confirmed that he had such a problem. The treatment of choice is surgery to tie off the abnormal blood vessel which helps to improve the blood flow back into the liver.
The image here shows a 3D reconstruction (where the cross-sectional images obtained during the CT scan are reconstructed in three dimensions by the powerful computer on the CT scanner) of Olly’s abnormal vessel. It can be seen overlying the two lower ribs, arcing in the shape of a question-mark running from the left side to the right side of the image. From there it enters the larger vessel than then goes up towards the heart, bypassing the liver.
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