Evaluation of the relationship between histogram analysis of liver ultrasonography images and liver enzyme values in cats

Hepatobiliary diseases are among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in veterinary medicine. Given the non-specific clinical signs and the prevalence of standard biochemical abnormalities, advanced diagnostic evaluation of these patients is important to establish an effective treatment plan. Elevated liver enzyme values, in particular, are often the initial parameters indicating the presence of liver diseases. Qualitative ultrasonographic abnormalities are detected as changes in the shape, size, echogenicity, and anatomical and echogenic relationships of organs and tissues. In fact, the human eye has limited sensitivity in discerning shades of gray. Therefore, subjective evaluation of echogenicity of the examined organ can vary among operators. Histogram analysis is a useful tissue analysis method that evaluates the distribution of each pixel value in an image, providing quantitative information about image heterogeneity. Combined with grayscale ultrasound imaging, it allows for measuring the frequency, quantity, and distribution of gray levels, thus providing quantitative information. In this study, 90 cats of different breeds and genders, aged 1-6 years, were used to examine the relationship between liver enzyme values indicating liver damage and histogram analyses of liver ultrasonography images. Measurement of liver dimensions was performed on L/L radiographs of all cases. The mean pixel values obtained from the histogram analyses of the liver ultrasonography images of all cases were compared to the variability in ALT levels as a representative example. The obtained data were statistically evaluated. As a result, this study quantitatively demonstrated the effect of increased serum ALT levels on liver parenchyma. When evaluated in conjunction with blood parameters, histogram analysis technique provided important data for the initial stage, prognosis, and assessment of treatment effectiveness of diseases, and demonstrated its potential for quantitatively determining the echogenicity of liver ultrasonography images.