Histological and histochemical findings in canine hepatic biopsies

Ultrasound examination is a modern diagnostic tool in veterinary medicine and can be completed by collecting biopsies for histology. Appropriate stains to examine liver biopsies are Hematoxilin-Eosin (HE), Gordon & Sweet reticulin stain and PAS stain. They allow to highlight the most important findings in hepatic pathology: inflammation, degeneration and fibrosis. In the present study, 36 ultrasound-guided canine hepatic biopsies were obtained, routinary processed for histology and stained with HE, PAS and Gordon & Sweet stain, in order to highlight inflammation, degeneration and fibrosis. To assess lesion severity, a score system (0 negative; 1 low; 2 moderate; 3 severe; 4 very severe) has been prepared and applied.