Radiography and computed tomography in the diagnosis of nonneoplastic equine mandibular disease.

The research article is about a comparative study of radiography and computed tomography (CT) techniques in the diagnosis of non-cancerous mandibular diseases in horses. The study found that CT provided additional and often essential information that could be missed by radiography alone.

Objective of the Research

The study aimed at comparing information obtained from computed tomography (CT) and radiography in horses suffering from non-cancerous mandibular diseases. The researchers hypothesized that CT would offer additional diagnostic information, enhancing the completeness and accuracy of diagnosis.

Methods of the Research

• The researchers reviewed medical records, radiographs (X-rays), and CT images from horses with non-cancerous mandibular diseases, examined between 1994 and 2008.
• They studied nineteen horses; among them, eleven had tooth root abscesses and related diseases, four had fractures of the teeth or mandible (jawbone), and another four had a nonneoplastic mass.

Results of the Research

• Both radiographs and CT images were able to detect diseased teeth, that otherwise appeared completely normal in clinical examination.
• CT scans proved effective in identifying clinically affected teeth that appeared normal in radiographs.
• CT scans were also found to be more effective in identifying certain parameters associated with these diseases, such as tooth pulp involvement, destruction of the lamina dura (a thin layer of compact bone that lines the tooth sockets), presence of bone fragments, lingual and buccal mandibular bone periosteal reaction (an inflammatory response on the surface of the mandible), and cortical bone destruction.

Conclusion of the Research

• The research concluded that conducting both radiography and CT scans on horses with non-cancerous mandibular diseases was more comprehensive than using each diagnostic technique individually.
• CT scans could uncover additional information, including mandibular fractures, that could go unnoticed with radiographs alone.
• The study also highlighted the importance of CT scans as supplementary to radiographs in horses with dental infection or a nonneoplastic mass in the mandible.