Prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux in dogs undergoing MRI for a thoracolumbar vertebral column pathology.

Objectives: The aims of the study were to investigate the prevalence and extent of gastroesophageal reflux, and the prevalence of regurgitation in dogs undergoing thoracolumbar spine magnetic resonance imaging, and to explore possible associations of reflux and regurgitation with signalment (breed, age, sex, neuter status), bodyweight, body condition score and drugs used in the anaesthetic protocol.

Materials And Methods: The thoracic part of the oesophagus was retrospectively assessed for presence and quantification of fluid on two T2 weighted sequences. Patient breed, age, sex, neuter status, weight and body condition score were recorded.

Rostral mandibulectomy for the management of trismus in a cat.

Case Summary: A 5-year-old domestic shorthair cat was evaluated for weight loss and poor coat condition due to an inability to open its mouth (trismus) following head trauma 2 months previously. Contrast CT, electromyography and temporal muscle biopsy identified findings consistent with muscle atrophy, denervation and degeneration. Conservative treatment failed to improve the trismus so a rostral mandibulectomy was performed.

Magnetic resonance imaging of the normal canine eye using a T1-weighted volumetric acquisition.

Purpose: MRI is becoming increasingly available within the veterinary profession, and eyes are frequently included as part of a cranial study. The advantages of volumetric imaging are numerous, when compared to traditional two-dimensional imaging, and could be utilised within the veterinary setting. This report describing the normal MRI appearance of the canine eye, aimed to establish a standard reference range on a T1w volumetric acquisition.

The appearance of canine insulinoma on dual phase computed tomographic angiography.

Objectives: To further evaluate the appearance of insulinoma in dogs on dual-phase CT angiography, given the disparity of findings in recent publications. To establish whether CT angiographic localisation of insulinoma correlates with surgical findings.

Materials And Methods: Single centre study of dogs with a final diagnosis of insulinoma which underwent abdominal CT angiography.

Classification of portosystemic shunts entering the caudal vena cava at the omental foramen in dogs.

Objective: To re-evaluate the anatomy and classification of congenital extrahepatic portosystemic shunts entering the caudal vena cava at the level of the omental foramen.

Material And Methods: A retrospective review of a consecutive series of dogs undergoing CT angiography as part of the diagnostic work-up for a congenital extrahepatic portosystemic shunt.

Results: In total, 53 dogs met the inclusion criteria revealing four anatomically distinct omental foramen shunt types; one of which (32 of 53 dogs) showed no shunting blood flow through the right gastric vein and three of which (21 of 53 dogs) involved shunting flow through this vessel.

Concurrent thoracic pathology identified with radiology in hyperthyroid cats referred for radioiodine therapy.

Objectives: Radioiodine (RAI) treatment for hyperthyroidism is becoming increasingly available in the UK. Pretreatment assessment is commonly performed, as patient handling is limited once RAI has been administered. The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of thoracic pathology using thoracic radiography in hyperthyroid cats referred for RAI treatment and to determine the value of this technique pretreatment.

Mediastinal lymphoma in dogs is homogeneous compared to thymic epithelial neoplasia and is more likely to envelop the cranial vena cava in CT images.

In order to identify CT signs that could be used to distinguish cranial mediastinal lymphoma and thymic epithelial neoplasia, a retrospective case-control study was done. Associations between CT signs and diagnosis were tested using binary logistic regression and results expressed as odds ratio and 95% confidence interval. Sixty-two dogs that had thoracic CT and confirmed diagnosis of lymphoma (n = 33) or thymic neoplasia (n = 29) were sampled.

Three-dimensional T1-weighted gradient echo is a suitable alternative to two-dimensional T1-weighted spin echo for imaging the canine brain.

Volumetric imaging (VOL), a three-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique, has been described in the literature for evaluation of the human brain. It offers several advantages over conventional two-dimensional (2D) spin echo (SE), allowing rapid, whole-brain, isotropic imaging with submillimeter voxels. This retrospective, observational study compares the use of 2D T1-weighted SE (T1W SE), with T1W VOL, for the evaluation of dogs with clinical signs of intracranial disease.

Anatomical anomalies and variations of main thoracic vessels in dogs: a computed tomography study.

Introduction: There is scarce information about the prevalence of anomalies and anatomical variations of the main great thoracic vessels in dogs, particularly in dogs without congenital heart disease.

Animals: The study included 878 privately owned dogs.

Material And Methods: Computerized tomography (CT) thoracic studies carried out between 2011 and 2014 for a variety of reasons were reviewed.

Open-mouth jaw locking in cats: a literature review and use of CT in three cases.

Case Series Summary: This report summarises and reviews the published cases of open-mouth jaw locking in cats and describes three further cases. Case 1 was a 5-year-old, 5.3 kg male neutered domestic shorthair cat.

Documenting the prevalence of hiatal hernia and oesophageal abnormalities in brachycephalic dogs using fluoroscopy.

Objectives: To report the prevalence of abnormal fluoroscopic findings in brachycephalic dogs that were presented to a referral hospital for obstructive airway syndrome.

Methods: Hospital records between May 2013 and November 2015 identified 36 brachycephalic dogs investigated for obstructive airway disease: 21 French bulldogs, six bulldogs, four Boston terriers, two pugs, two boxers and one shih-tzu. The presence or absence of hiatal hernia, delayed oesophageal transit, gastro-oesophageal reflux and redundant oesophagus were recorded.

Skeletal pathology and variable anatomy in elephant feet assessed using computed tomography.

Foot problems are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in elephants, but are underreported due to difficulties in diagnosis, particularly of conditions affecting the bones and internal structures. Here we evaluate post-mortem computer tomographic (CT) scans of 52 feet from 21 elephants (seven African and 14 Asian ), describing both pathology and variant anatomy (including the appearance of phalangeal and sesamoid bones) that could be mistaken for disease. We found all the elephants in our study to have pathology of some type in at least one foot.

Prevalence of spinous process impingement in thoracic vertebrae on radiographs of clinically-unaffected dogs.

Objectives: To assess the prevalence of impinged spinous processes in asymptomatic dogs.

Methods: One hundred and ninety lateral thoracic radiographs of asymptomatic dogs radiographed for reasons other than spinal pain, were retrospectively reviewed by two board-certified radiologists. Images were assessed for impinged spinous processes and graded for narrowing, sclerosis or remodelling of the spinous processes.

Unilateral absence of the right pulmonary artery with associated aortopulmonary collaterals and bullous lung lesions in a dog.

This case report describes a combination of congenital cardiopulmonary abnormalities found in a 1-year-old Labrador Retriever. To the authors' knowledge this combination of cardiopulmonary abnormalities has not been previously reported in veterinary medicine. Unilateral absence of the right pulmonary artery associated with unilateral right-sided aortopulmonary collaterals was observed.

Canine Elbow Realignment Osteotomy (CERO): Validation of the Accuracy of Acute Radial Lengthening in a Cadaveric Incongruency Model.

Objective: To verify the ability of a novel Canine Elbow Realignment Osteotomy (CERO) system for acute axial radial or ulnar lengthening to restore normal elbow congruency in a shortened radius cadaver model using assessment by computed tomography (CT).

Study Design: In vitro cadaver study.

Animals: Five pairs of greyhound forelimbs from animals euthanatized for reasons unrelated to the study.

Development of a Novel Medial Synoviocentesis Approach to the Bicipital Bursa in an Equine Cadaver Model.

Objective: To describe the volume and dimensions of the bicipital bursa and its position in relation to bony and soft tissue structures, in order to develop a novel medial synoviocentesis approach to the bicipital bursa.

Study Design: Cadaveric study.

Animals: Adult equine cadaver limbs (n=19).

Inter- and intraobserver agreement in interpretation of CT features of medial coronoid process disease.

Objectives: To evaluate inter- and intraobserver reliability of the assessment of computed tomography features commonly used in the identification and classification of medial coronoid process disease and to assess inter- and intraobserver variability in the identification of the percentage ulna sclerosis from single transverse computed tomography images.

Methods: Eight observers, on two occasions, reviewed 84 standardised single transverse computed tomography images acquired at the level of the apex of the medial coronoid process. Observers assessed: medial coronoid process disease, coronoid process fragmentation, osteophytes, sclerosis grade and sclerosis delineation with normal bone defined using a sclerometer.

Computed tomographic findings in cats with mycobacterial infection.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to describe the CT imaging findings associated with confirmed mycobacterial infection in cats.

Methods: CT images from 20 cats with confirmed mycobacterial disease were retrospectively reviewed. Five cats underwent conscious full-body CT in a VetMouseTrap device.

Computed tomographic evaluation of elbow congruity during arthroscopy in a canine cadaveric model.

Objective: To assess the effect of arthroscope insertion, using a carbon-fibre rod model, on humero-radial, humero-ulnar and radio-ulnar congruity, as assessed by computed tomography (CT).

Methods: Cadaveric Greyhound elbow joints were assessed at a flexion angle of 135 ± 5° using CT. For condition 1, a 36 mm fulcrum induced cubital valgus, as used to aid arthroscope insertion.

Validation of the accuracy of needle placement as used in diagnostic local analgesia of the maxillary nerve for investigation of trigeminally mediated headshaking in horses.

Diagnostic local anaesthesia of the maxillary nerve is a valuable aid in the diagnosis of trigeminally mediated headshaking in horses. Our objective is to validate the accuracy of needle placement in this procedure and to identify any correlation between accuracy of the technique and operator experience. Using a small volume of contrast medium, the procedure was performed bilaterally on 30 horse cadaver heads by three groups with different levels of experience with the technique.

Topographic bone density of the radius and ulna in greyhounds and labrador retrievers with and without medial coronoid process disease.

Objective: To quantify, using computed tomography (CT), cross-sectional ulnar bone density (UBD), and regional radial bone density (RRBD) at the level of the medial coronoid process (MCP) in elbows with and without medial coronoid process disease (MCPD) and with and without fragmentation of MCP (FCP).

Study Design: Retrospective clinical case-control and ex vivo study.

Sample Population: Labrador Retriever elbows (n = 54) and normal cadaveric Greyhound elbows (11) undergoing elbow CT.

Prevalence of Chiari-like malformations in clinically unaffected dogs.

Background: The importance of Chiari-like malformation (CM) in the generation of clinical signs or the formation of syringomyelia in dogs is incompletely understood, partly because the prevalence of various CM definitions in unaffected dogs is unknown.

Hypothesis/objectives: The aims were: to estimate the prevalence of CM in dogs asymptomatic for CM or syringomyelia, according to 3 currently used definitions; and, to investigate the effect of brachycephaly and head position during magnetic resonance (MR) imaging on estimates of the prevalence of CM.

Animals: One ninety-nine client-owned dogs without apparent signs of CM or syringomyelia.

Computed tomographic characteristics of the cisterna chyli in dogs.

Previous lymphangiographic studies have investigated the use of computed tomography (CT) for characterizing the thoracic duct and its tributaries in dogs. However, there is limited published information on the appearance of the canine cisterna chyli using CT. The objective of this retrospective study was to describe the features of the canine cisterna chyli in pre- and post-contrast abdominal CT studies.