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The morphological characteristics of the largest lymphatic vessels and lymph nodes of the body have been described through ultrasonography, although food and gas in the gastrointestinal tract can often have negative effects on the response of small abdominal structures. The aim of the study was to describe the size of normal abdominal lymph nodes (ALs) in dogs affected by disease, not including lymphadenomegaly or lymphadenopathy, and divided according to body weight and age. The ALs studied included the jejunal, medial iliac, portal, gastric, splenic, and pancreaticoduodenal lymph nodes. Statistical correlation considering body weight and age as continuous variables showed that all measurements of the ALs increased according to body weight changes (p < 0.01). The most reliable values were the volume measurements (p < 0.001) compared to the length, thickness, and width. Mixed results emerged from a comparison of weight categories and age; only the jejunal lymph nodes showed a significant correlation (p < 0.05). Other characteristics (shape, attenuation, and enhancement) are subsequently reported. The resulting data can be used to categorize CT measurements of normal ALs displayed based on the body weight and age of the subjects. This study aimed to propose a new parameter of normalcy that may serve as a reference for the evaluation of infectious or neoplastic events.

The resulting pain is the main symptom of acute pancreatitis and it should be alleviated as soon as possible. NSAIDs are the first line therapy for pain and they are generally administered to acute pancreatitis patients upon admission to the hospital. In addition, these drugs have also been used to prevent post-endoscopic cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) acute pancreatitis. On the other hand, there are several reports indicating that NSAIDs may be the actual cause of acute pancreatitis. We carried out a literature search on PubMed/MEDLINE; all full text papers published in from January 1966 to November 2009 on the use of NSAIDs in acute pancreatitis were collected; the literature search was also supplemented by a review of the bibliographies of the papers evaluated. Thus, in this article, we will systematically review the current literature in order to better illustrate the role of NSAIDs in acute pancreatitis, in particular: i) NSAIDs as a cause of acute pancreatitis; ii) their use to prevent post-retrograde ERCP pancreatitis and iii) their efficacy for pain relief in the acute illness of the pancreas.