{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,7]],"date-time":"2026-08-07T15:37:15Z","timestamp":1786117035304,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":18,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,6]],"date-time":"2026-08-06T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1785974400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Vet. Sci."],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Ascites in dogs results from a range of systemic and localized disorders. Early distinction between transudative and exudative peritoneal effusions, and between septic and non-septic exudates, is crucial for guiding emergency interventions and treatment strategies.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Objective<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>To evaluate the relationship between echogenicity of ascites and results of fluid analysis, and to determine whether echogenicity can help differentiate transudates from exudates.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Retrospective study including 100 client-owned dogs with ultrasonographically confirmed peritoneal effusion and fluid analysis performed within 3 h of imaging. Effusions were classified according to total nucleated cell count (TNCC) and total protein concentration (TPC) as follows: transudates (&amp;lt;1,500 cells\/\u03bcL, &amp;lt;2.5 g\/dl), exudates (\u22655,000 cells\/\u03bcL, \u22652.5 g\/dl), or other (hemoperitoneum, biliary peritonitis, uroperitoneum). Static DICOM images and cine loops were acquired and independently assessed by a board-certified radiologist and a radiology resident. Consensus was reached for all cases. Effusions with uniform echo-free appearance were deemed anechogenic; those containing multiple or confluent hyperechoic foci were classified as echogenic.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Sixty-six effusions were echogenic and 34 anechogenic. Of the 40 exudates, 80% were echogenic compared to 43% of the 41 transudates. All 17 septic exudates (100%) were echogenic compared to 65% of 23 non-septic exudates. TNCC (\u22655,000 cells\/\u03bcL) and TPC (&amp;gt;4.5 g\/dL) were strongly correlated with echogenic appearance.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Echogenicity correlated significantly with exudative and septic effusions. Echogenicity may offer a rapid, non-invasive method to complement cytologic and biochemical analyses. Incorporating echogenicity assessment into abdominal ultrasonographic protocols may hasten critical clinical decision-making and improve outcomes in dogs with ascites.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fvets.2026.1832745","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,6]],"date-time":"2026-08-06T13:05:23Z","timestamp":1786021523000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Association between echogenicity of ascites and its classification in dogs"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Silvia","family":"Biondo","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Dick White Referrals, Part of Linnaeus Veterinary Ltd","place":["Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Samuel","family":"Jakovljevic","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Dick White Referrals, Part of Linnaeus Veterinary Ltd","place":["Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mireia","family":"Pascual","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Veterinaria del Mar","place":["Barcelona, Spain"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Maria","family":"Fernandez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Southfields Veterinary Specialists","place":["Essex, United Kingdom"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ben","family":"Fayers","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Dick White Referrals, Part of Linnaeus Veterinary Ltd","place":["Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ferran","family":"Valls Sanchez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"WeYouVets","place":["Essex, United Kingdom"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,6]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","volume-title":"Textbook of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 8th Edn.","author":"Ettinger","year":"2017"},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"69","DOI":"10.1177\/1742271X1668065","article-title":"Ascites matters","volume":"25","author":"Rudralingam","year":"2017","journal-title":"Ultrasound."},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"123","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cvsm.2016.07.008","article-title":"Analysis of canine peritoneal fluid","volume":"47","author":"Bohn","year":"2017","journal-title":"Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract."},{"key":"B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"161","DOI":"10.1053\/jvet.2003.50005","article-title":"Comparison of peritoneal fluid and peripheral blood pH, bicarbonate, glucose, and lactate concentrations as a diagnostic tool for septic peritonitis in dogs and cats","volume":"32","author":"Bonczynski","year":"2003","journal-title":"Vet Surg."},{"key":"B5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"773","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cvsm.2013.03.011","article-title":"The use of ultrasound for dogs and cats in the emergency room: AFAST and TFAST","volume":"43","author":"Boysen","year":"2013","journal-title":"Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract."},{"key":"B6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"883","DOI":"10.1002\/9781119461005.ch43","article-title":"POCUS: ultrasound-guided procedures - abdominocentesis, thoracocentesis, and pericardiocentesis","volume-title":"Point-of-Care Ultrasound Techniques for the Small Animal Practitioner, 2nd Edn","author":"Boysen","year":"2021"},{"key":"B7","volume-title":"Small Animal Diagnostic Ultrasound, 4th Edn","author":"Mattoon","year":"2020"},{"key":"B8","volume-title":"Atlas of Small Animal Ultrasonography, 2nd Edn","author":"Penninck","year":"2015"},{"key":"B9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"383","DOI":"10.4314\/ejhs.v29i3.11","article-title":"The value of ultrasound in characterizing and determining the etiology of ascites","volume":"29","author":"Wondim","year":"2019","journal-title":"Ethiop J Health Sci."},{"key":"B10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"111","DOI":"10.2214\/ajr.133.1.111","article-title":"Ultrasonic differentiation of types of ascitic fluid","volume":"133","author":"Edell","year":"1979","journal-title":"AJR Am J Roentgenol."},{"key":"B11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"313","DOI":"10.2214\/AJR.16.16509","article-title":"Differentiating transudative from exudative ascites using quantitative B-mode gray-scale ultrasound histogram","volume":"209","author":"Cekic","year":"2017","journal-title":"AJR Am J Roentgenol."},{"key":"B12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"365","DOI":"10.1016\/j.diii.2012.02.008","article-title":"Cirrhotic and malignant ascites: differential CT diagnosis","volume":"93","author":"Risson","year":"2012","journal-title":"Diagn Interv Imaging."},{"key":"B13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"104","DOI":"10.1111\/vcp.13315","article-title":"Diagnostic utility of the total nucleated cell count for differentiation of septic and sterile peritoneal effusions in dogs","volume":"53","author":"DiDomenico","year":"2024","journal-title":"Vet Clin Pathol."},{"key":"B14","first-page":"102","article-title":"Differentiation of malignant and benign ascites by ultrasonography and\/or computed tomography","volume":"3","author":"Khaladkar","year":"2015","journal-title":"Int J Healthc Biomed Res."},{"key":"B15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1822","DOI":"10.15537\/1658-3175.4155","article-title":"The role of ultrasonography and computed tomography in determining the etiology of ascites","volume":"28","author":"Topal","year":"2007","journal-title":"Saudi Med J."},{"key":"B16","first-page":"119","article-title":"Evaluation of ascites and its aetiology using ultrasonography","volume":"3","author":"Alnumeiri","year":"2015","journal-title":"J Res Development."},{"key":"B17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"96","DOI":"10.15557\/JoU.2017.0013","article-title":"Difficulties in differentiating the nature of ascites based on ultrasound imaging","volume":"17","author":"Smereczy\u0144ski","year":"2017","journal-title":"J Ultrason."},{"key":"B18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"191","DOI":"10.1055\/s-2007-1007197","article-title":"Differential diagnosis of ascites","volume":"17","author":"McHutchison","year":"1997","journal-title":"Semin Liver Dis."}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Veterinary Science"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fvets.2026.1832745\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,6]],"date-time":"2026-08-06T13:05:24Z","timestamp":1786021524000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fvets.2026.1832745\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,6]]},"references-count":18,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fvets.2026.1832745"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fvets.2026.1832745","relation":{},"ISSN":["2297-1769"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2297-1769","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,6]]},"article-number":"1832745"}}