Computed Tomographic Features of Canine Ovarian Masses

Abstract

This paper describes the computed tomographic features of ovarian masses in dogs. The CT images of female dogs with a confirmed histological diagnosis of ovarian tumors or ovarian cystic diseases were studied retrospectively. Seven dogs met the inclusion criteria. The morphological features of ovarian tumors and ovarian cystic diseases coincided to a certain degree, but ovarian tumors tended to be predominantly solid. Objective measurements of Hounsfield units (HU) suggest that benign lesions may show lower HU values than malignant tumors and mild contrast enhancement because of the small soft tissue composition. CT is useful for a differential diagnosis of ovarian masses by providing additional information on the imaging features of the masses and an evaluation of metastases.