EVALUATION OF LIVER ECHOTEXTURE IN HEALTHY COWS USING COMPUTER-ASSISTED PROGRAM

This study was aimed at the determination of the echotexture findings of the liver using computer-assisted programmes, and the investigation of the correlation between these findings and some biochemical parameters in healthy cattle. The study material comprised of 18 healthy Brown Swiss cows. The B-mode images acquired were used for the measurement of the mean grey value, homogeneity, contrast, liver depth, portal vein depth, portal vein diameter, hepatic vein diameter and hepatic vein depth. Contrast, homogeneity and mean grey value were determined as 52.23±3.858, 0.18±0.006 and 102.27±5.617, respectively. Despite being statistically insignificant, the mean grey value was negatively correlated with the albumin level (r=-0.311, p>0.05), and positively correlated with the BHBA concentration (r=0.328, p>0.05) and SDH activity (r=0.402, p>0.05). Liver depth and portal vein depth were measured as 129.35±3.441 mm and 105.38±3.263 mm, respectively. BHBA concentration was found to be significantly and positively correlated with liver depth and portal vein depth (r=0.523, p 0,05) in aktivnostjo SDH (r = 0,402, p > 0,05). Izmerjeni sta bili globina jeter in globina portalne vene, ki sta znašali 129,35 ± 3,441 oziroma 105,38 ± 3,263 mm. Ugotovljeno je bilo, da je koncentracija BHBA značilno in pozitivno povezana z globino jeter in globino portalne vene (r = 0,523, p < 0,05 oziroma r = 0,663, p < 0,01). Na podlagi tega je bila pri zdravem govedu z uporabo računalniško podprtih programov opravljena analiza ehogenosti jeter, določena je bila korelacija ehogenosti z nekaterimi biokemičnimi parametri in pridobljeni so bili številčni podatki, ki bi lahko pomagali pri oceni z uporabo ultrazvoka (USG) kot neinvazivne metode. Čeprav velja, da bi se povprečne sive vrednosti, določene z računalniško podprtimi programi, ter globine jetrne in portalne vene, izmerjene z USG, lahko uporabile kot indikativni parametri za negativno energijsko bilanco, so potrebne nadaljnje raziskave na večjem številu živali. Ključne besede: krava; jetra; ehogenost; srednja siva vrednost; globina portalne vene