Role of CT in the Staging of Colorectal Tumors: A Preliminary Study on 10 Dogs

Simple Summary Colorectal tumors are rare in dogs and are difficult to diagnose early due to their non-specific symptoms. There are limited studies on the CT features of these tumors in veterinary medicine. This study aims to describe the CT features of colorectal tumors in dogs and evaluate CT's usefulness in tumor staging. This study shows how CT helps identify colorectal lesions, assess lymph node involvement, and determine if other organs are affected. It also describes the common CT features of different types of colorectal tumors, aiding oncologists in diagnosis and staging, and surgeons in planning surgeries more effectively.Abstract This study aimed to define the CT features of colorectal tumors in dogs and assess CT's role in tumor staging. It was a retrospective, multicenter, descriptive study involving dogs with a cyto-histopathological diagnosis of colorectal tumors and high-quality pre- and post-contrast CT scans of the abdomen. CT successfully identified colorectal lesions in all cases, showing variations such as wall thickening, presence of masses, and luminal stenosis. It also detected lymph node involvement. Overall, this study helps us to understand the CT features of both epithelial and mesenchymal colorectal tumors, emphasizing CT's importance in staging and surgical planning for affected dogs. Larger studies are needed to identify specific CT findings for different colorectal neoplasms.