New case report links ultrasound ‘whirl sign’ to canine pancreatic torsion

Ultrasound may give clinicians an earlier clue to pancreatic torsion in dogs, based on a new case report in Veterinary Radiology & Ultrasound describing a 7-month-old Labrador Retriever in which abdominal ultrasound identified a characteristic “whirl sign” before surgery confirmed the diagnosis. The puppy presented with vomiting, inappetence, and lethargy, and the diagnosis was later confirmed surgically and on histopathology, according to the report summary. The authors say it’s the first published description of an ultrasound “whirl sign” linked to pancreatic torsion in a dog, adding a potentially useful imaging marker for a condition that remains exceptionally rare. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

Why it matters: Pancreatic torsion in dogs has been documented only in a small number of published case reports, and earlier reports did not describe this ultrasound sign. A 2015 case report described pancreatic torsion in a 6-month-old Cane Corso that was diagnosed only at exploratory surgery, while a 2024 report of a 3-month-old Bernese Mountain Dog again described a hypoechoic cranial abdominal mass on ultrasound, with torsion confirmed at laparotomy and good long-term outcome after partial pancreatectomy. For veterinary professionals, the new report suggests that when a young dog presents with acute gastrointestinal signs and an unusual pancreatic-region mass, recognition of a “whirl sign” on ultrasound could sharpen suspicion for torsion and help move the case more quickly toward surgery. That matters because pancreatic ultrasound is technically challenging and can miss serious disease, even in experienced hands. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

What to watch: Watch for whether additional case reports validate the ultrasound “whirl sign” as a repeatable preoperative marker, or show how often it overlaps with other abdominal torsion syndromes already known to produce similar imaging findings. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)