![]() ![]() The kidneys are not visible because of lack of retroperitoneal fat. Gastrointestinal gas provides the only contrast visible. There is essentially no abdominal serosal detail, principally because of lack of abdominal fat to provide contrast with the soft tissue abdominal organs. The abdomen of this puppy is normal and differs markedly from an adult. Increased cranial thoracic soft tissue opacity is caused by overlying forelimb musculature and the thymus (see Figure 21-1, A). As a result, the normal lung parenchyma shows a mild, diffuse, and unstructured interstitial pattern compared with an adult. In a 3-day-old puppy (Figure 21-1), the heart looks relatively larger than in an adult (increased cardiothoracic ratio), as the lungs are not fully developed and well aerated as they will be later in life. Radiographing a littermate for direct comparison can be the most important criterion for the practitioner when deciding normal from abnormal. Although the neonatal puppy or kitten poses the most difficult interpretation challenge, fortunately these ill or injured patients are often presented by the breeder, who may have access to littermates. Further, such resources are of limited value because of the great differences in radiographic appearance that can occur in a relatively short period, not to mention breed differences. left) and on littermates or other age-matched patients for comparison. For example, if the spleen touches the border of the liver without fat between, the margins of the two organs cannot be distinguished.īecause there are relatively few anatomic and radiographic resources of the neonatal and juvenile dog and cat to use to compare, we must rely on laterality comparison (right vs. The term silhouette sign (or border effacement) is used to describe the effacement of the borders of two touching structures of the same radiographic opacity. For example, the caudal pole of the right kidney often overlaps the cranial pole of the left kidney, the area of overlap yielding an increase in soft tissue opacity relative to the nonoverlapping portions. The term summation refers to the two-dimensional (2D) additive effects of three-dimensional (3D) structures, such as the organs within the abdomen. Recall that the five basic radiographic opacities, in increasing order, are air, fat, soft tissue, bone, and metal. The basic principles of radiographic interpretation include size, shape, location, number, margination, and opacity of structures imaged. This chapter will focus on the important unique radiographic features of puppies and kittens, application of radiographic principles, and interpretation advice specific diseases are left to the appropriate dedicated chapters. ![]() Use of the basic principles of radiographic interpretation is essential, and doing so at least in part alleviates the uncertainties invariably encountered. Interpretation of radiographic images can be an even greater challenge, primarily because of unfamiliarity with the immature, developing skeletal system. Common fractures seen on knee X-rays include tibial plateau fractures and patella fractures.Radiography of kittens and puppies is technically demanding because of the small patient size. Not all fractures show up on X-ray, but most do. Trauma/fracture: X-rays show evidence of injury to the bone, including fractures.Some of these early signs offer an indication of how much of your knee pain is due to early arthritis. Early arthritis signs: Other signs of arthritis, including bone spurs, can be seen on an X-ray.Narrowing of this joint space is the best sign of the extent of knee arthritis. Joint spaces: The space between the bones seen on X-ray is actually filled completely with cartilage.Malalignment can put excessive force on parts of the joint and accelerate arthritic changes. Alignment: X-rays taken while standing show the alignment of the knee joint and abnormalities in bone alignment.(You need a bone density test for that.) However, they can detect abnormalities (e.g., certain bone disorders, bone thinning). Bone quality: X-rays aren't adequate for evaluating bone density.They can also show signs of soft-tissue swelling and excess fluid within the knee. Soft-tissue changes: There is much more besides bone that can be seen on an X-ray. ![]()
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