Extrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt Imaging and Algorithms
Portosystemic shunts in animals are abnormal communications between the portal venous and the systemic venous systems. The shunts can lead to a variety of clinical signs affecting the neurologic, urogenital, and gastrointestinal systems. Diagnosis is usually made via bloodwork and imaging studies. These patients are initially treated medically and then the best outcomes are provided through surgical or interventional therapies that can provide a good prognosis.

A liver shunt is typically diagnosed based on patient signalment and history, physical examination, biochemical testing, and diagnostic imaging studies.

Canine Portosystemic Shunt Anatomical Training Module
The algorithms provided have been developed through extensive evaluation of cross-sectional imaging studies performed through a number of large referral hospitals around the world in order to define an anatomical nomenclature system for these vascular anomalies. The importance of having a uniform, acceptable, and accurate nomenclature system is imperative if we are to compare outcomes for different therapies.

The Portosystemic Shunt Radiology Guide Served By: Chick Weisse, VMD, DACVS is a staff surgeon and director of interventional radiology services at the Animal Medical Center in New York City. His clinical research interests include portosystemic shunt anatomy and associated therapies as well as other interventional radiology techniques including training and expansion of these techniques in veterinary medicine.

Contributors:
Chick Weisse, VMD, DACVS, Animal Medical Center, NY, NY
WA Fox-Alvarez, DVM, DACVS & FR Vilaplana Grosso, LV, DECVDI, DACVR – College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL.
K Asano, DVM, PhD, DJCVS & K Ishigaki, DVM – Nihon University, Fujisawa, Kanagawa, Japan.
AL Zwingenberger, DVM, DACVR, DipECVDI – University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, Davis, CA.
KA Carroll, BVetBiol/BVSc (Hons 1) & VF Scharf, DVM, DACVS – NCSU Veterinary Hospital, Raleigh, NC.
V Lipscomb, MA, VetMB, Dipl. ECVS – Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield Herts, England.
ML Wallace, MS, DVM, DACVS-SA – College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA.
A Aly – Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, Ithaca, NY.
B Biscoe, DVM, DACVR – Animal Imaging, Irving, TX.
JR Davidson, DVM, DACVS – Texas A&M University, College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, College Station, TX.
S Arai, DVM, PhD, DACVS-SA – College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN.
N Amato, DVM, DACVS – Ethos Veterinary Health, Massachusetts Veterinary Referral Hospital, Woburn, MA.
SD Ryan, BVSc(Hons), DACVS – UVet Veterinary Hospital, University of Melbourne, Werribee, VIC, Australia.