Radiographic Liver Size Evaluation after Portosystemic Shunts Ligation in 13 Cases

Thirteen dogs were diagnosed as congenital extrahepatic single PSS by intraoperative mesenteric portovenography or computed tomographic examination, repair surgery was performed by using an ameroid constrictor. Hepatic size was measured from the right lateral view using liver length/T11 length ratio. This measurement was performed on follow-up check of PSS ligation patients. Hepatic size parameter of pre-operative PSS patients is $4.13{\pm}0.13$ (range, 3.11-4.83). After surgery, hepatic size parameter of post-operative PSS patients is $4.79{\pm}0.19$ (range, 3.78- 5.93). Although follow-up periods varied 2 and 26 weeks, all patients showed increased liver size compared to that on pre-operative radiographs (P < 0.01). The increase rate was 1.01-1.46 times than those of preoperative radiographs. But in 5 patients, post hepatic liver size was small compared to the others, which showed low increase rate of body weight, total protein, albumin, and glucose level. It was thought that small value of hepatic size parameter was due to delay of hepatic regeneration. In conclusion, radiographic hepatic size parameter of pre- and post-operative patients is considered an effective evaluation for restoring after PSS surgery.