Ultrasonographic assessment of the normal ileocecocolic junction in dogs

The ultrasonographic appearance of the ileocecocolic junction (ICCJ), comprising the ileocolic junction (ICJ) and the cecocolic junction (CCJ), has not been established in dogs. The purpose of this prospective study was (1) to evaluate the feasibility and technique of systematic ultrasonographic evaluation of the ICJ and CCJ and (2) to describe its ultrasonographic features. Abdominal ultrasound was performed in 102 fasted dogs, free of digestive signs. The time required to identify the ICJ using a standardized method was recorded for each operator and compared among four experienced ultrasonographers (ECVDI certified and associated member ECVDI) and two previously trained ECVDI residents to evaluate the feasibility of the technique. Measurements were obtained for the ICJ wall thickness. Evaluation of the contents and peristalsis of the ICJ was recorded for descriptive purposes. The easiest way to identify the ICJ was to follow the colon proximally from the urinary bladder to the ICJ. The probe was then rotated anticlockwise and shifted slightly laterally while increasing the pressure to obtain a longitudinal section of the ICJ. The ICJ was identified in less than 2 min in 98% of cases by experienced ultrasonographers and in 86% of cases by ECVDI residents. The canine ICJ appears as a short invagination of the ileum into the colon, whereas the CCJ appears as a small opening of the colon within the cecum. This study suggests that it is possible to nearly systematically identify the ICCJ with ultrasound in dogs using the described method and provides reference values for its ultrasonographic measurements.