Anatomy of the Thorax Structures in a Newborn Dromedary Camel by Computed Tomography

The anatomical and clinical studies of computed tomography (CT) in Camelidae are scarce. The use of CT in large animal medicine is currently limited by the logistic problems of acquiring computed tomographic images. Several CT studies exist on adult llamas, but not in camels. Accurate interpretation of the planimetric CT normal anatomy is necessary for the study and evaluation of pathological tissues. The purpose of our work was to evaluate the thorax of the newborn camel and related structures by means of CT images and macroscopic sections. One newborn camel of one week was used. It was euthanized for medical reasons unrelated to disease of the thorax. CT images were obtained and detailed anatomy of the thorax was acquired. Different CT windows, soft‐tissue and pulmonary windows, were applied in order to obtain detailed attenuation shades of the thoracic structures. The camel was frozen and sectioned using an electric saw, and we obtained high quality images of the thorax compared with CT images. Clinically relevant anatomic structures of the thorax cavity were identified and labelled in the corresponding CT and gross‐section photographs. The information presented in this paper should serve as an initial reference to evaluate CT images of the newborn camel thorax.