COMPARISON OF ATTENUATION AND LIVER-KIDNEY CONTRAST OF LIVER ULTRASONOGRAPHS WITH HISTOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY IN DOGS WITH EXPERIMENTALLY-INDUCED STEROID HEPATOPATHY

Digital analysis of liver ultrasound images (USGs) was compared to his tological and serum enzyme activity results in dogs with steroid-induc ed hepatopathy. Steroid hepatopathy was used as a model for diffuse li ver diseases. Prednisolone administration resulted in increased acoust ic backscatter (hyperechogenicity) of the liver,vith reference to the kidney and significant depth attenuation (hyper-attenuation). Absolute changes were determined by histogram analysis of echo means (Ems) of area samples (1x1cm) of liver and kidney at the depth of 2 cm (liver-k idney contrast) and at 2 ems and 4 cm (depth attenuation). Liver-kidne y contrast histograms correlated well with histology but were more sen sitive than serum enzyme activity and subjective visual interpretation . Depth attenuation was the earliest detectable acoustic change. These results suggested that depth attenuation is an early and sensitive in dicator of steroid hepatopathy. Liver-kidney contrast correlates well with histology and may complement biopsy examination during follow-up studies.