COMPUTED-TOMOGRAPHY OF HEREDITARY MULTIFOCAL RENAL CYSTADENOCARCINOMAS IN GERMAN-SHEPHERD DOGS

The purpose of the study was to characterize the renal lesions of here ditary renal cystadenocarcinomas in the German shepherd dog using comp uted tomography (CT), Fourteen dogs with renal cystadenocarcinomas and nodular dermatofibrosis, and two unaffected dogs were studied, There were nine dogs with spontaneous disease and seven dogs from a test mat ing, The characteristic renal CT findings of renal cystadenocarcinomas were bilateral multiple cysts and tumor masses of various sizes. The earliest changes were detected between 4 and 5 years of age and the sm allest cysts measured 2-3 mm in diameter, Abdominal CT examination giv es a wide field view and excellent anatomic images of the kidneys, It is easy to differentiate between cysts and solid tumors, CT examinatio n is useful for the early detection of renal cystadenocarcinomas and f or screening suspected carrier dogs before breeding.