Transsplenic portal scintigraphy using 99mTc-pertechnetate for the diagnosis of portosystemic shunts in cats: a retrospective review of 12 patients

Abstract

Portosystemic shunts (PSS), congenital or acquired, occur uncommonly in the feline population. The diagnostic approach is similar to one in dogs suspected of a PSS based on the clinical signs and haematological and biochemical changes. Diagnostic imaging, however, is key for the confirmation of a PSS. Although abdominal ultrasound is the first-choice diagnostic imaging modality, the results are not always unequivocal. Transsplenic portal scintigraphy (TSPS) using 99mTc-pertechnetate is a well-established technique in canine medicine, providing relatively fast and easy confirmation of the presence or absence of a PSS. As the prevalence of PSS is much lower in the feline population, this technique has not been widely used in cats. This retrospective study of 12 cases gives an overview of the potential of TSPS in the diagnostic work-up of PSS in cats (2005–2012).