Abstract
PICO QUESTION: In dogs, how accurate is abdominal ultrasound in detecting round cell neoplasia in the liver and spleen when compared to cytological or histopathological diagnosis? CATEGORY OF RESEARCH: Diagnosis. NUMBER AND TYPE OF STUDY DESIGNS REVIEWED: Twelve studies were appraised in total. Ten of them were retrospective cohort studies, and only two were prospective studies. STRENGTH OF EVIDENCE: Moderate. OUTCOMES REPORTED: Ultrasonography is useful for initial evaluation of canine liver and spleen but shows limited diagnostic certainty on its own. Across the studies, distinguishing benign from malignant change and differentiating among diffuse hepatopathies was inconsistent, and false negatives occurred despite normal-appearing organs. Detection of splenic involvement with aggressive mast cell disease was particularly unreliable, and ultrasound assessment of hepatic lymphoma was imperfect with overlapping appearances. Definitive case classification in the evidence base depended on cytology or histopathology rather than ultrasound alone. CONCLUSION: Histopathological and cytological examination remains the gold standard for diagnosis, as ultrasound on its own is an unreliable tool for diagnosis of round cell tumours involving the spleen and the liver.