Before pathology can be discussed, the normal appearance of the liver, biliary system, and pancreas will be reviewed. Determination of liver size via US is not accurate and is best done on radiographs. Ultrasound is best performed with the animal in dorsal recumbency (on their back) and the area must be clipped free of hair.
Let's begin with the upper urinary tract – the kidneys and ureters. Knowing normal anatomy is of course initially necessary to perform an adequate ultrasound examination. You should always scan in two planes (sagittal and transverse). The right kidney is harder to visualize as it is located at the level of T13 and is located in the caudate fossa of the liver.
While standard radiographic and ultrasound imaging techniques are common diagnostic tools in exotic animal medicine, the use of more advanced imaging techniques such as computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) currently appear to be underutilized for exotic patients.
The key to examining a thyroid mass by ultrasonography.
Incorrect answer for Image Quiz: Cytology-A dyspneic calico with a runny nose
A useful protocol for identifying orthopedic lesions.
The best diagnostic plan for feline odonotoclastic resorptive lesions.
Find out how to predict gallbladder rupture in dogs.
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WVC clinical speaker discusses how to interpret radiographs quickly and accurately in critical patients.
Chronic vomiting is a common presenting complaint from owners of dogs evaluated at both primary hospitals and referral institutions.
When medical management is no longer adequate, patients with tracheal collapse need more aggressive surgical intervention.
Quiz: Holiday myths debunked (6-Fact)
How to evaluate overexposed areas of a radiograph.
The use of computed tomography (CT), though not readily available at every institution, is becoming a more widespread modality for use in the small animal patient. Computed tomography affords a rapid evaluation of skeletal images with a small slice thickness that can be as small as 0.625.
Abdominal radiographs are a rapid, readily available method to give an overview of the abdomen. Though most people believe ultrasound is the new modality of choice for abdominal evaluation, the limitations of ultrasound not being able to penetrate gas as well as the technical ability and time to acquire images still make abdominal radiographs a great first modality in the patient with acute abdominal pain.
The explosion of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has revolutionized neuroimaging. However, other modalities still are valuable when looking at the central nervous system. These include ultrasound and computed tomography (CT). Radiographs have limited usefulness due to the superimposition of structures associated with the cranial vault and vertebral column.
The use of radiography to examine the abdomen is full of complications. Radiographs are very good at determining the difference between bone and gas, but soft tissue and fluid are the same opacity. When dealing with intra-abdominal lesions, the main goal is to differentiate one soft tissue mass from a normal soft tissue structure from abdominal fluid. Ultrasound uses high frequency sound waves to accomplish what radiographs cannot.
Ultrasound examinations are becoming routine standard of care in veterinary medicine. Due to the non-invasive nature of the modality, the general affordability of the hardware and the growing amount of continuing education to train general practitioners and veterinary technicians on the technical aspects of scanning, ultrasound is becoming the modality of choice, especially when examining the abdomen.
Diagnosing disease in reptiles can be a challenge for even the most experienced veterinarian. The clinical signs exhibited by these ectotherms are often subtle and physical findings are seldom pathognomonic.
