Computed tomographic evaluation of pancreatic perfusion in healthy dogs.

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of contrast-enhanced CT for assessment of pancreatic perfusion in healthy dogs.

Animals: 6 healthy purpose-bred female Treeing Walker Coonhounds.

Procedures: Contrast-enhanced CT of the cranial part of the abdomen was performed with 3-mm slice thickness. Postprocessing computer software designed for evaluation of human patients was used to calculate perfusion data for the pancreas and liver by use of 3-mm and reformatted 6-mm slices. Differences in perfusion variables between the pancreas and liver and differences in liver-specific data of interest were evaluated with the Friedman test.

Results: Multiple pancreatic perfusion variables were determined, including perfusion, peak enhancement index, time to peak enhancement, and blood volume. The same variables as well as arterial, portal, and total perfusion and hepatic perfusion index were determined for the liver. Values for 6-mm slices appeared similar to those for 3-mm slices. The liver had significantly greater median perfusion and peak enhancement index, compared with the pancreas.

Conclusions And Clinical Relevance: Measurement of pancreatic perfusion with contrast-enhanced CT was feasible in this group of dogs. Hepatic arterial and pancreatic perfusion values were similar to previously published findings for dogs, but hepatic portal and hepatic total perfusion measurements were not. These discrepancies might have been attributable to physiologic differences between dogs and people and related limitations of the CT software intended for evaluation of human patients. Further research is warranted to assess reliability of perfusion variables and applicability of the method for assessment of canine patients with pancreatic abnormalities.