Predicting Metastatic Potential of Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors in Dog by Ultrasonography

Gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST), a mesenchymal neoplasm affecting the gastrointestinal tract, shows a variety of clinical behaviors from inactive benign to aggressive malignant in dogs. In this study, the feasibility of using clinically significant ultrasonographic features to predict the metastatic potential of canine GIST was investigated through comparison with actual metastatic incidence and findings of malignancy obtained by postoperative pathological examination. Ultrasonographic features, including large tumor size, irregular margin and heterogeneous internal echogenicity with large hypoechoic areas, related closely with the presence of metastasis as well as a high-risk ranking by the human classification system according to pathological findings. Based on these ultrasonographic features, the potential of metastasis in canine GIST could be preoperatively predicted.