INFLUÊNCIA DA IDADE NA ULTRASSONOGRAFIA RENAL DE CÃES E GATOS

O QUE SE SABE

Abstract

For a correct diagnosis of renal diseases, it is important to know the normal appearance of organs and systems, including how maturation, growth and aging can influence the parameters in diagnostic tests. The kidney is an extremely important organ for the maintenance of body homeostasis, and impairment of its function may result in imbalances, predisposing in death. Thus, early detection of renal lesions is relevant, and ultrasound examination is routinely used for renal evaluation. In mammals the kidneys are considered immature at birth, undergoing a gradual process of maturation and, with aging, the kidney undergoes a progressive degenerative process. Both processes result in morphological, dimensional and vascular ultrasound changes that are not considered pathological. This topic is well-studied in human medicine, with the presence of significant sonographic differences between the kidneys of neonates, children, adults and the elderly. In veterinary medicine there are few studies about the influence of age on the renal ultrasound, and most of these studies focuses on the difference of renal hemodynamic values ​​between young and adult dogs, but not between adult and elderly dogs or between different age groups in cats. Moreover, age-related two-dimensional and morphometric differences are still poorly studied in both dogs and cats. Although the influence of age on renal ultrasound is quite evident in humans, there is still a lack of studies in dogs in cats.