Introduction

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a common disease in dogs that normally progresses to end-stage renal disease (ESRD). During disease progression, the decrease in renal functions is concurrently presented with the fibrotic processes. As a result, losing of renal parenchymal elasticity would be found. At present, ultrasonographic elastography is an advance, advisable, and noninvasive technique for tissue elasticity or stiffness evaluation. Assessment through the Young’s modulus E (YM) within an interested tissue will provide the tissue stiffness-quantitative measurement.

Objectives

According to the less information of canine CKD elasticity observed through ultrasonographic elastography, the aims of this study were to compare the tissue stiffness between the normal and CKD dogs. In addition, the correlation between the YM value and plasma creatinine (Cr) was elucidated.

Methods

Among 12 canine patients (6 dogs for either normal and CKD group), the mean age of both groups was matched (p=0.584) and the mean body weight of both groups was not significantly difference (p=0.372).

Results

The result showed that the location of the kidney was not affected to the YM value in either normal (p=0.24) or CKD group (p=0.42). Interestingly, the CKD dogs had significantly higher YM values in renal parenchyma than those of the normal group (p<0.01). Furthermore, YM value was significantly correlated with the plasma Cr (r²=0.734, p<0.01).

Conclusions

In conclusion, ultrasonographic elastography acts as a promising, noninvasive method to evaluate the renal parenchymal tissue stiffness in canine CKD.