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.
Clinical and radiographic findings in Corynebacterium equi pneumonia of foals. Thirty-nine foals with pneumonia were admitted to the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital at the University of California, Davis. Corynebacterium equi was recovered from each of them on bacteriologic culture of transtracheal aspiration specimens or lung specimens at necropsy. The foals were divided into 2 groups. Group I consisted of 20 foals that died because of C equi pneumonia and were subsequently necropsied. Group II consisted of 19 foals that were treated and discharged from the hospital. Radiography was performed on all foals. Clinical signs included increased respiratory rate, fever, ...
[Direct and indirect methods of the diagnosis of pregnancy in mares]. This review article deals with a critical comparison between the direct clinical diagnosis for the pregnancy of the mare (rectal and in some cases also vaginal exploration) and indirect methods. Both methods are discussed whether they can be seen as a mutual completion or are suitable for their own. The indirect methods for the pregnancy diagnosis include the hormone-analytic tests as progesterone concentration in serum or milk, the biological and immunological measurements for PMSG in the serum, finally the biological and chemical methods for estrogen contents in the urine of the mare. Furthe...
Fluorescence depolarization studies of melanosomal membranes from different sources. In the present paper we report a comparative study of physical properties and biochemical composition of isolated melanosomal membranes extracted from bovine eyes and from an equine spleen melanoma. Some biophysical characteristics of such membranes were obtained by steady-state and time resolved fluorescence spectroscopy using DPH as fluorescent probe. By these methods we have measured both static fluorescence polarization and fluorescence lifetimes and from the experimental data we have calculated the rotational correlation times by Perrin's equation. Since dynamic and static parameters, suc...
Techniques and applications of transabdominal ultrasonography in the pregnant mare. To establish the feasibility of utilizing high-frequency ultrasound to image equine fetal development transabdominally, in vitro and in vivo observations were made. Three fetuses retrieved from mares that died from various causes were scanned in vitro to establish fetal images from various orientations. A total of 50 mares ranging in age from 4 to 16 years and representing various breeds were scanned intermittently from 100 days of gestation to parturition. Fetal parts, amniotic fluid, placental membranes, and motion patterns could be reliably identified. Fetal heart rates decreased from 180 b...
Radiological investigations of osteochondrosis dissecans in Standardbred Trotters and Swedish Warmblood horses. A total of 106 Standardbred Trotters and 27 Swedish Warmblood horses, with a radiological diagnosis of osteochondrosis dissecans, were studied over a six year period. The majority were young horses. No statistical difference in frequency between the sexes was demonstrated. In both breeds osteochondrosis was most common in the hock joints, the site of predilection being the distal dorsal tip of the intermediate tibial ridge. On radiographs the lesions of the hock joints were graded on a scale from 0 to 5 according to size, number and localisation of defects and visible loose bodies. The sizes o...
Angiography of the corpus cavernosum penis in the pony stallion during erection and quiescence. Serial arteriography was used to determine the vascular pattern and blood flow in the penis of the pony stallion. Ponies were anesthetized with pentobarbital sodium, and catheters were surgically introduced into the internal pudendal and obturator arteries. The vascular anatomy was visualized by angiography via image-intensified fluoroscopy and was recorded on 70-mm film at 3 frames/s or by direct radiography. Blood flow into the corpus cavernosum penis (CCP) was limited during quiescence because the blood was immediately shunted into the venous system. After vasodilation with mild stimulation...
[The use of linear-array real-time echography in veterinary obstetrics and gynecology]. For the past few years, two-dimensional diagnostic ultrasound methods have become available to veterinary medicine. In particular, linear-array real-time ultrasound would appear to be a very suitable diagnostic tool in the examination of the female genital organs of domestic mammals. The principles of this technique and the equipment available are described, and particular attention is paid to the method by which a diagnosis of pregnancy may be established in various animal species. In dogs and goats shaving will have to be done before the sound-transmitting/receiving transducer can be placed ...
Ultrasonic anatomy of equine ovaries. A linear-array ultrasound scanner with a 5-MHz transducer was evaluated for studying follicular and luteal status in mares, and the ultrasonic properties of equine ovaries were characterized. Follicular diameters were estimated in vivo and after removing and slicing six ovaries. Correlation coefficients between the two kinds of determinations were 0.91 for number of follicles >/=2 mm in diameter and 0.95 for diameter of largest follicle. The ovaries of five mares were examined daily until all mares had been examined from three days before an ovulation to three days after the next ovulation....
Ultrasonic anatomy and pathology of the equine uterus. The morphological and pathological status of the uterus in mares was evaluated using a linear-array ultrasound scanner, and the ultrasonic properties of the uterus were characterized. The uterus was examined each day in 16 mares, beginning at mid-diestrus. The uterus was recorded as having an ultrasonic morphology characteristic of diestrus (endometrial folds not distinguishable), estrus (prominent endometrial folds) or an intermediate stage (folds only moderately distinguishable). The number of mares with an intermediate or estrous image increased gradually between day -7 (2 14 mares; ovulati...
Ultrasonography as an adjunct to pregnancy assessments in the mare. Ultrasonographic detection of pregnancy was performed in 952 Thoroughbred mares. Characteristic images were obtained between 12 and 55 days after breeding. Twins in the same uterine horn as well as twins in opposite horns were imaged, and for the first few months of gestation appeared similar to single pregnancies. Growth curves as a function of time were developed, utilizing horizontal diameters of the blastocysts versus breeding dates. Comparisons between horizontal and vertical diameters demonstrated no appreciable differences when observed as a group. Growth curves derived from twins did n...
Horse haemoglobin phenotyping by agarose gel isoelectric focusing comparison of Thoroughbreds with other Equidae. By using isoelectric focusing in thin agarose slab gels 1049 Thoroughbred, 82 Nooitgedachter, 45 Percheron and 244 horses of other breeds were examined. The numbers of other Equidae tested were 107 donkeys, 50 mules, 4 common zebras (Equus burchelli boehmi) and 8 mountain zebras (Equus zebra hartmannae). Phenotypic data are presented for all tested animals and gene frequencies are calculated for the horses.
Radiographic anatomy of the equine thorax as a basis for radiological interpretation. This article describes the gross radiographic anatomy of the equine thorax observed on the lateral radiographic projection. The descriptions presented were derived from a retrospective study of a large number of thoracic radiographs of cases referred to the Massey University clinic in conjunction with research studies in bronchography, angiography and in vitro contrast techniques. The characteristics of the thoracic bony structures, the vasculature, and the airways are examined separately; followed by a discussion of the relative contribution of the various structures to the overall thoracic r...