Ultrasound and endoscopic findings in dogs with lymphangiectasia

ABSTRACT Lymphangiectasia is a heterogenous inflammatory bowel disease characterized by lymphatic vessel dilation, chronic diarrhea and protein loss such as serum albumin and globulin. The most common cause of lymphangiectasia is considered to be the congenital malformation of the lymphatics. The study was conducted between 2012-2015 on 76 dogs suffering from intestinal disorders and manifesting digestive symptoms such as diarrhea or weight loss. In order to assess the origin of disorder, physical examination, biochemistry profile, ultrasound and endoscopic examinations were performed. Ultrasound examination tried to assess the changes of intestines’ echogenicity, changes in wall thickness, wall layering and presence of striations or / and speckles (hyperechoic structures along intestinal mucosal layer). Endoscopic examination findings included dilated lacteals (59.2%) and erythema (21.1%). Although increased friability was observed in 33 dogs, it was not considered in the study due to limitations represented by the evaluation of the endoscopic images only. The study proved that an extremely significant statistical correlation exists between the presence of speckles and dilated lacteals in dogs with lymphangiectasia (P<0.05). Up to now, there is no other study to make an association between the white spots observed in ultrasound examination and dilated lacteals revealed after endoscopy in dogs with intestinal lymphangiectasia.