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Topic:Diagnostic Imaging
Diagnostic imaging in horses encompasses a range of techniques used to visualize the internal structures of the equine body for the purpose of diagnosis and treatment planning. These techniques include radiography, ultrasonography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), and nuclear scintigraphy. Each modality offers unique advantages in assessing different tissues and conditions, such as bone fractures, soft tissue injuries, and joint abnormalities. Radiography is commonly employed for evaluating bone structures, while ultrasonography is frequently used for soft tissue assessment. MRI and CT provide detailed cross-sectional images, facilitating the examination of complex anatomical regions. Nuclear scintigraphy can detect areas of increased bone activity, often used in lameness evaluations. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the applications, advancements, and comparative effectiveness of diagnostic imaging modalities in equine veterinary practice.
Pleuroscopic diagnosis of disseminated hemangiosarcoma in a horse. A 7-year-old Thoroughbred mare was examined because of persistent bilateral epistaxis and respiratory distress. Evidence of bilateral pleural effusion was found during physical examination, and a large amount of serosanguineous fluid was drained from the right side of the thorax. Cytologic examination and bacteriologic culture of the transtracheal aspirate and pleural fluid did not yield evidence of sepsis. A coagulation profile was unremarkable. Radiographic and echographic changes were seen in the lung parenchyma. Pleuroscopy, with the horse standing, revealed numerous dark nodules on the pl...
Effect of intestinal resection on two juvenile horses with granulomatous enteritis. Two horses were presented with lethargy, weight loss, anorexia, and swelling of the limbs and ventral body wall. One horse, a 12-month-old American Paso Fino colt, also had acute abdominal pain. The other horse, a seven-month-old Tennessee Walking Horse (TWH) filly passed diarrheic stools during the initial examination. Each horse had low serum protein, neutropenia, and a normal packed cell volume (3.2 g/dl, 1300 cells/ul, and 38%, respectively, for the colt, and 2.4 g/dl, 696 cells/ul, and 44%, respectively for the filly). After intravenously administering plasma, the colt's PCV dropped to 23...
Pulse oximetry in horses. The clinical usefulness of two pulse oximeters was evaluated at two probe sites in nine anesthetized horses. The hemoglobin saturation determined by the pulse oximeters (SaOx) was compared with the hemoglobin saturation calculated from the measured arterial oxygen tension (SaO2). The mean and standard deviation (SD) were calculated from the differences in saturation measurements, over the saturation range of 80% to 100%, for each oximeter used at the tongue probe site and for one oximeter used at the ear. The oximeter results tended to underestimate the SaO2 with mean differences of -3.7% on t...
Fractures of the accessory carpal bone in the horse. The clinical signs and radiographic appearance of 19 cases of fracture of the accessory carpal bone of horses are described. In 17 cases the fractures were in the frontal plane and occurred palmar to the groove on the lateral aspect of the bone. In six cases radiographs taken six months to three years after the fracture occurred showed no evidence of bony union; nevertheless, these and five other horses for which follow-up information was available for up to seven years all became sound, and seven of them returned to competitive activity.
Radiology in racetrack practice. This article focuses on the principles involved in making radiographs of equine limbs; understanding radiographic anatomy, including normal variations; and principles of radiographic interpretation. The influence of pathogenesis of disease on the radiographic image is considered. Diseases associated with racing as well as the developing racehorse are discussed.
[Ovarian structure and function in the mare from the clinical viewpoint with special regard to ultrasonography]. Ultrasonography is a good means of monitoring follicular development in the mare and allows objective observation and measurement of follicular growth as well as identification of corpora lutea and hematoma in the ovary. The significance of ultrasonography in this field lies in the specific anatomical structure of the mare's ovary and the different phenomena preceding and accompanying ovulation, which are described in this paper. The last part deals with the handling and use of ultrasonography.
Changes in accessory sex glands of stallions after sexual preparation and ejaculation. Ultrasonographic images of the accessory sex glands of 8 stallions were recorded immediately prior to sexual preparation, immediately after sexual preparation, and immediately after ejaculation. Relative size changes, determined by measurements of ultrasonograms of accessory sex gland, were contrasted. Length and width of the bulbourethral glands increased significantly (P less than 0.05) after sexual preparation and decreased significantly (P less than 0.05) after ejaculation. The increase in bulbourethral gland volume following sexual preparation was correlated significantly (P less than 0.0...
Correlation between radiographic and arthroscopic findings in the equine carpus. The radiographic and arthroscopic findings in 150 carpal joints in 114 lame horses were compared. Chip, slab, or sagittal fractures were identified in 130 (87%) joints. In 101 (78%) of these there was good agreement between radiographic and arthroscopic findings on the number and position of fractures. In 23 (18%) joints, chip fractures additional to those seen radiographically were found arthroscopically. In one joint a large chip fracture from the craniolateral aspect of the distal radius was identified only by arthroscopy, while in 6 joints fractures were identified only by radiography. Obs...
Ultrasound as an aid to diagnosis of granulosa cell tumour in the mare. The ultrasonic appearance of seven cases of granulosa cell tumour is described, and compared with an ovarian haematoma and an ovarian serous cystadenoma. The granulosa cell tumours varied from being uniformly dense to having one or several large fluid filled cysts. Some tumours resembled the haematoma or cystadenoma and also, in some aspects, normal ovarian structures such as corpora haemorrhagica or follicles in early pregnancy. There was no typical ultrasonographic appearance of the granulosa cell tumours which enabled definitive diagnosis. However, ultrasound may be a diagnostic aid when us...
Arthrography of the equine shoulder joint. Techniques and normal radiographic anatomy for positive and double contrast shoulder arthrography in horses were evaluated. General anaesthesia was used for most radiographic projections of the shoulder. The mediolateral projection provided the most information during arthrography, although the supinated mediolateral view occasionally allowed better definition of the cartilage surfaces on the medial aspects of the humeral head. The craniocaudal mediolateral oblique and caudocranial projections provided limited additional information. Water soluble non-ionic contrast agents, such as metrizamide...
Local anesthetics and nuclear medical bone images of the equine fore limb. The effects of two local anesthetic agents on the diagnostic quality of nuclear medical bone images (NMBIs) of distal parts of the equine fore limb were investigated. Local effects on bone uptake of technetium 99m methylene diphosphonate (99mTc-MDP) 4 and 24 hours after perineural and intraarticular injection of mepivacaine hydrochloride and bupivacaine hydrochloride were evaluated in the carpal and metacarpophalangeal regions of 12 horses and ponies. Neither mepivacaine hydrochloride nor bupivacaine hydrochloride significantly altered the diagnostic quality of the NMBIs. The injection and sub...
Diagnostic ultrasonography for evaluation of cryptorchidism in horses. The location and size of 11 retained testes were accurately determined ultrasonographically. There was 100% correlation between the location of the testis determined by ultrasound vs that determined by surgery. Testicular size determined presurgically in all cases closely approximated the actual size obtained by gross measurement of the excised testis. The cryptorchid testicular echotexture was less dense than that of the normal descended testicles, but was easily identified. Ultrasonographic evaluations were completed by use of an ultrasound base unit with attached 5-MHz transrectal transduce...
Investigations of the horse conceptus via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and nitroxide spin labels as contrast agents. Results are presented which illustrate the usefulness of Magnetic Resonance Imaging as applied to the study of living embryos. Nitroxide spin labels were employed as contrast agents to study the structure and properties of the embryos. These spin labels offer the additional advantage that they may potentially be bound to biologically important molecules thereby imparting the ability to produce contrast in the MR images to these new molecules. The horse conceptus was chosen over other embryos due to its large size. Whereas the embryos of cattle and swine are sub-millimetre in size, the horse co...
In vitro ultrasonographic appearance of the normal and verminous equine aorta, cranial mesenteric artery, and its branches. Ninety-one equine aortic and cranial mesenteric arterial segments were evaluated ultrasonographically in a water bath. On the basis of pathologic evidence of verminous arteritis, arterial segments were classified into 4 categories, and the ultrasonographic characteristics of each group were evaluated. Normal arteries (class 1) were ultrasonographically characterized by a smooth luminal surface layer and uniform wall thickness and echogenicity. Arteries with only histopathologic evidence of verminous arteritis (class 2) were ultrasonographically characterized by a smooth luminal surface layer, ...
Technique for transrectal ultrasonography of the cranial mesenteric artery of the horse. Transrectal ultrasonography was successfully used to image the cranial mesenteric artery and its branches in 23 adult horses. The artery could be imaged from its origin at the aorta distally to identify several bifurcations. The method for transrectal imaging of the cranial mesenteric artery and its major branches required 3 distinct transducer positions. One position was used to locate the cranial mesenteric artery by imaging the caudal portion of the aorta from the aortic bifurcation cranially to the level of the cranial mesenteric artery. The second position was used to image the origin of ...
Iohexol myelography in the horse. Iohexol, a water soluble non-ionic contrast agent, was evaluated for myelography in the horse. Both 300 and 350 mg iodine/ml iohexol gave diagnostic cervical myelograms. Pathological changes were limited to extradural oedema and an increase in the number of white blood cells and specific gravity in the cerebrospinal fluid two days after myelography. This increase in white blood cells in the cerebrospinal fluid was, however, much less than that recorded by other authors using metrizamide and iopamidol contrast media. These findings indicate that iohexol is a less irritant myelographic contrast ...
Agenesis of the corpus callosum with cerebellar vermian hypoplasia in a foal resembling the Dandy-Walker syndrome: pre-mortem diagnosis by clinical evaluation and CT scanning. DORSAL midline dysgenesis of the human brain, a complex
pattern of maldevelopment of sulcation and neuronal migration
occurring before 74 days gestation, has been recognised for over
fifty years. The association (68 per cent) of the so-called Dandy-
Walker syndrome (cystic dilatation of the fourth ventricle and
hypoplasia of the cerebellum) with other brain malformations is
common and often includes agenesis of the corpus callosum
(Hart, Malamud and Ellis 1972; Ral et a1 1980). This report
describes the first pre-mortem identification of such a structural
brain anomaly in a Thoroughbr...
Diagnostic and prognostic procedures for equine colic surgery. Evaluation of the horse with colic has always been challenging since the patient's large size precludes many of the diagnostic imaging procedures commonly used in human medicine. Diagnostic methods such as radiography, laparoscopy, endoscopy, and peritoneal fluid analysis can serve to increase the accuracy of presurgical evaluation. Prognosis in individual cases can be best predicted by careful analysis of selected clinicopathological data, physical examination findings, and surgical biopsies. However, no predictive model is 100 per cent accurate, and clinicians must continue to rely on clinic...
Reproductive performance in mares subjected to examination by diagnostic ultrasound. Mares were subjected to frequent examination by diagnostic ultrasound and data were compiled with respect to reproductive efficiency. The data were collected over a 3-yr period on 1032 light horse mares. The cummulative pregnancy rate at 35 d post-ovulation was 96.8% and the pregnancy rate per cycle was 76.0% as determined by ultrasound examination. The average number of cycles per conception was 1.43, with an average of 2.29 inseminations per cycle. The incidence of early embryonic death was 7.8%. Mares were subjected to an average of 5.04 scans during the follicular phase of the cycle. The a...
Evaluation of the tibia as a source of autogenous cancellous bone in the horse. A 1 cm defect was created in the proximal medial cortex of 12 tibiae, cancellous bone was removed from the site, and the bones were fractured by loading in torsion. The fractures did not occur through the donor sites and the fracture patterns and loads to fracture were similar for the treated tibiae and their untreated mates. Cancellous bone was harvested from the proximal medial aspect of both tibiae in nine adult horses. The soft tissue wounds were monitored for more than 10 days in seven horses and healing of the osseous defects was evaluated radiographically at regular intervals to month 6...
Ultrasonographic evaluation of the healing of ventral midline abdominal incisions in the horse. Ultrasonography was used to evaluate the ventral midline incisions of 21 ponies following exploratory laparotomy. The incisions were evaluated before surgery and at weekly intervals from one to seven weeks after surgery. Both 5.0 and 7.5 MHz linear array and 7.5 MHz sector transducers were used for the evaluations. The incisional complications observed were drainage, oedema, suture sinus formation, suture abscess, superficial dehiscence and incisional hernia. Ultrasonographic imaging of the ventral midline incision was an easy, reliable and objective method for detecting and monitoring the pro...
Xeroradiographic evaluation of the equine larynx. The normal radiographic anatomy of the equine larynx was determine by use of xeroradiography and dissection. The body and laminae of the thyroid cartilage, the muscular process of the arytenoid cartilages, and the dorsal lamina and arch of the cricoid cartilage had radiographic evidence of mineralization (calcification) and/or ossification in clinically normal horses. There was a significant (P less than 0.01) increase in the degree of mineralization of the thyroid and arytenoid cartilages with advancing age. Horses with diagnosis of arytenoid chondrosis (arytenoid chondral dysplasia, arytenoi...
Removal of a retropharyngeal foreign body in a horse, with the aid of ultrasonography during surgery. Diagnostic ultrasonography was used during surgery to assist in the removal of a piece of wire from the retropharyngeal region. A 3-year-old Quarter Horse mare was referred with dysphagia of 2 days' duration. Radiography revealed a 9-cm piece of wire located caudodorsal to the larynx. A ventral surgical approach was performed, dissecting along the right side of the larynx and trachea. The surgical field was filled with 0.85% sterile physiologic saline solution. A 5 MHz-mm sector scanner probe immersed in the fluid was able to locate the wire and facilitate the direction and depth of dissection...
Simple nonrebreathing valves for use with large mammals. Two simple nonrebreathing valves suitable for use with large mammals are described. These valves can be constructed in a reasonably well equipped workshop using materials that are readily available. The resistive pressure of both valves is less than 0.1 kPa at flow rates up to 15 L.s-1. Their main limitation is a relatively large dead space, although the dead space of valve B (290 mL) is less than the dead space of some commercially available valves. Healthy adult horses and cows compensate for the increased dead space by an increase in tidal volume.
Radiographic examination of the equine foot. A complete radiographic examination of the equine foot consists of properly exposed, processed, and positioned radiographs. For radiographic interpretation, in addition to knowing radiographic signs of disease, a knowledge of normal radiographic anatomy and possible insignificant anatomic variations is necessary.
