SENSIBILITÀ DELL’ECOGRAFIA NELLA DIAGNOSI DEI CORPI ESTRANEI GASTROINTESTINALI (G-I FBS) NEL CANE E NEL GATTO

Ultrasound examination was performed on 31 patients (19 dogs and 12 cats) with clinical symptoms suggestive of g-I FBs. Nineteen patients (61 %, 15 dogs and 4 cats) showed ultrasonographic findings of g-I FBs as distal acoustic shadowing and variable degrees of surface reflection. Additional sonographic findings including gastrointestinal distension, peristalsis, thickening/layering of gastrointestinal wall, lymphoadenophaty, free peritoneal fluid and mesentery echogenicity were also valued in all patients. Endoscopic examination, laparotomy or necroscopy confirmed the presence of g-I FBs in 17 animals. G-i FBs were classified as blunt (13/17), linear (2\17), perforant (2\17) and additional sonographic findings were revalued for each class. No G-i Fbs were identified in patients with negative ultrasound examination. Ultrasound examinations showed high sensibility (100%) and good sensitivity (85.7%).