Acquired portosystemic shunt

Acquired portosystemic shunt secondary to hepatic cirrhosis in a 5-year-old mixed breed dog. The liver appears atrophied, irregular and with increased consistency. Histologically, the liver exhibited severe periportal fibrosis as part of a presentation of post-degenerative cirrhosis. This resulted in severe portal hypertension, with formation of multiple shunts between the splenic and intestinal (draining) blood vessels and the vena cava, as a compensatory mechanism of return circulation.