32
IMAGING ESSENTIALS
PEER
REVIEWED
distinction should be readily identified. At the
corticomedullary junction, the interarcuate vessels
can be identified normally in some dogs and cats.
The normal renal cortex in dogs can be slightly
hyperechoic to the liver.
5
In normal cats, however, it
is not unusual for the renal cortices to be isoechoic
or hyperechoic to the hepatic parenchyma. The
renal medulla is homogeneous but often has a
coarser echotexture than the renal cortex.
The renal vessels (artery and vein) can be seen
entering the renal hilum. Within the renal hilum,
extending into the renal sinus, fat can be deposited
(hyperechoic), especially in cats. Normally, the
renal pelvis is not dilated, but a small amount of
FIGURE 1. Imaging planes of the left kidney in a dog: (A) long axis dorsal, (B) long axis sagittal, (C) short axis transverse. Imaging
planes of the left kidney in a cat: (D) long axis dorsal, (E) long axis sagittal, (F) short axis transverse. The different parts of the
kidney are labeled in each image. The renal cortex is equal in thickness with the renal medulla and is hyperechoic relative to the
renal medulla.
A
C
E
B
D
F