J Vet Sci.  2014 Dec;15(4):551-556. 10.4142/jvs.2014.15.4.551.

Use of laparoscopy for diagnosing experimentally induced acute pancreatitis in dogs

• Kim HW
• Oh YI
• Choi JH
• Kim DY
• Youn HY

• KMID: 2070242
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4142/jvs.2014.15.4.551

Abstract

Diagnosis of acute pancreatitis in dogs remains a significant challenge despite the development of advanced diagnostic methodologies. Visual inspection and pancreas biopsy using laparoscopy are generally considered to be procedures free of complications when conducted on healthy animals. However, the usefulness of laparoscopy for diagnosing acute pancreatitis has not been assessed. In the present study, the efficacy of laparoscopy for diagnosing acute pancreatitis in dogs was evaluated in animals with experimentally induced acute pancreatitis. Gross appearance of the pancreatic area was examined by laparoscopy to survey for the presence of edema, adhesions, effusion, pseudocysts, hemorrhage, and fat necrosis. Laparoscopic biopsy was performed and the histopathologic results were compared to those of pancreatic samples obtained during necropsy. The correlation between laparoscopy and histopathologic findings of the pancreas was evaluated. The presence of adhesions, effusion, and hemorrhage in the pancreatic area observed by laparoscopy significantly correlated with the histopathologic results (p < 0.05). There was no significant relationship between the histopathologic and laparoscopic biopsy findings. Results of this study suggested that laparoscopic evaluation of gross lesions has clinical significance although the laparoscopic biopsy technique has some limitations. This method combined with additional diagnostic tools can be effective for diagnosing acute pancreatitis in dogs.

Keyword

acute pancreatitis; biopsy; dog; laparoscopy

MeSH Terms

Acute Disease
Animals
Dog Diseases/*diagnosis/etiology
Dogs
Female
Laparoscopy/*veterinary
Male
Pancreas/*pathology
Pancreatitis/diagnosis/etiology/*veterinary

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Laparoscopic views of the pancreas of dogs in which acute pancreatitis was experimentally induced. (A) Edema, (B) peritoneal effusion, (C) pancreatic hemorrhage, and (D) fat necrosis.

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  Fig. 2 Gross appearance of the pancreas of a dog in which acute pancreatitis was experimentally induced. (A) Overall view of a pancreas with acute pancreatitis and (B) a magnified view of the necrotized pancreas.

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  Fig. 3 Histopathologic examination (400× magnification) of hematoxylin and eosin-stained sections of the pancreases from dogs in which acute pancreatitis was experimentally induced. (A) Grade 0, normal; no necrotic lesions. (B) Grade 1, mild; < 15% of necrotic lesions. (C) Grade 2, moderate; 15~30% of necrotic lesions. (D) Grade 3, severe; ≥ 30% of necrotic lesion.

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