Comparison of ultrasonographic findings with clinical activity index (CIBDAI) and diagnosis in dogs with chronic enteropathies.

Intestinal wall thickness is neither a specific nor sensitive ultrasound parameter for detecting intestinal inflammation. We hypothesize that mucosal echogenicity, lymphadenomegaly, and secondary findings of the gastrointestinal tract would be more sensitive and specific markers for detecting and differentiating causes of chronic inflammatory bowel disease in dogs. Fifty-six client-owned dogs with chronic diarrhea and 10 control dogs were examined with two-dimensional, gray-scale ultrasound (time 0, 4, and 10 weeks post therapy) and small intestinal mucosal biopsies were performed at the 0- and 4-week time points. The clinical activity was assessed at each time point using the canine inflammatory bowel disease activity index (CIBDAI). Fifty-one dogs had inflammatory infiltration of the duodenal mucosa and were divided into three groups, food-responsive disease, idiopathic inflammatory bowel disease, and protein-losing enteropathy, based on their response to the different treatments and histology. Two different patterns of increased echogenicity of the mucosa were detected: hyperechoic speckles and hyperechoic striations. A normal, hypoechoic bowel mucosa in dogs with chronic diarrhea had a sensitivity of 80% and a specificity of 81% for the diagnosis of food-responsive disease. Hyperechoic striations had a sensitivity of 75% and a specificity of 96% for dogs with protein-losing enteropathy. Hyperechoic speckles were non-specific for diagnosing inflammatory bowel disease. There was a significant relationship between ultrasound score and CIBDAI at t0, but not following therapy. Mucosal echogenicity may be a better parameter for detecting inflammatory bowel disease than bowel wall thickness in dogs with chronic diarrhea.     

EFFECT OF HEAD AND NECK POSITION ON PHARYNGEAL DIAMETER IN HORSES

Dynamic nasopharyngeal collapse with upper airway obstruction is an important cause of exercise intolerance in performance horses. Its underlying pathophysiology is not fully understood. We hypothesize that head position affects pharyngeal diameter, and thus head position may be a contributing factor to nasopharyngeal obstruction. Fifteen adult healthy horses were subjected to endoscopy and radiography at rest. The pharyngeal diameter was measured at nine different head and neck positions. The effect of sedation and breathing cycle on the pharyngeal diameter was determined, and the relationship between the head angle and the pharyngeal diameter was analyzed. There was a significant influence of head and neck position on pharyngeal diameter, with head position having the major effect (P<0.001); neck position was less important, but still significant (P<0.05). The smallest pharyngeal diameter was found at the dorsal, flexed position, which is a clinically important head position in dressage horses. The largest pharyngeal diameter was found at the extended midway position. At each head level, the pharyngeal diameter decreased with flexing the head and it increased with extending the head. The head angle was not associated with pharyngeal diameter, and neither sedation status nor breathing cycle significantly affected pharyngeal diameter. A decrease in pharyngeal diameter will limit the airflow through the upper respiratory tract, and it may result in turbulence with subsequent dynamic collapse. Head and neck position should therefore be considered a possible contributing factor in horses with suspected nasopharyngeal dysfunction.     

The selection of spawning location of sardine (Sardinops sagax) in the northern Benguela after changes in stock structure and environmental conditions

Most reports on the distribution of spawning areas of sardine (Sardinops sagax) in the northern Benguela originate from the 1970s and 1980s. The northern Benguela system was in a high upwelling regime during those decades. Since the early 1990s upwelling favourable winds have decreased and a trend of increasing sea surface temperature (SST) has been observed. Changes in the structure of sardine stock in the northern Benguela have been observed and it has been suggested that a reduced biomass and changes in stock structure has led to decreased spawning in the favourable southern locations, thus preventing a recovery of the sardine stock. The present paper on the contrary shows that there has been a shift in spawning location from the less favourable northern areas in the early 1980s to spawning areas further south in the 2000s. Thus, the failure of the northern Benguela sardine stock to recover since its collapse in the late 1960s cannot be explained by spawning in less favourable areas. The shift in preferred spawning location to more southern areas since the 1980s was to be expected with a general warming of the northern Benguela system. Alternative explanations for the failure of the sardine stock to recover such as a reduction in average length as well as length at 50% maturity, leading to a reduction in reproductive output, increased predation pressure, and increased low oxygen waters are proposed.     

DISPLAY QUALITY OF DIFFERENT MONITORS IN FELINE DIGITAL RADIOGRAPHY

In human medical imaging, the performance of the monitor used for image reporting has a substantial impact on the diagnostic performance of the entire digital system. Our purpose was to compare the display quality of different monitors used in veterinary practice. Two medical‐grade gray scale monitors (one cathode‐ray tube [CRT], one liquid crystal display [LCD]) and two standard consumer‐grade color monitors (one CRT, one LCD) were compared in the ability to display anatomic structures in cats. Radiographs of the stifle joint and the thorax of 30 normal domestic shorthair cats were acquired by use of a storage phosphor system. Two anatomic features of the stifle joint and five anatomic structures of the thorax were evaluated. The two medical‐grade monitors had superior display quality compared with standard PC monitors. No differences were seen between the monochrome monitors. In comparison with the color CRT, the ratings of the color LCD were significantly worse. The ranking order was uniform for both the region and the criteria investigated. Differences in monitor luminance, bit depth, and screen size were presumed to be the reasons for the observed varying performance. The observed differences between monitors place an emphasis on the need for guidelines defining minimum requirements for the acceptance of monitors and for quality control in veterinary radiography.     

Microanatomy of the Canine Claw

Abstract— The histologic appearance of the canine claw was evaluated in twenty dogs of various breeds. Sagittal and horizontal cross sections of the claw were obtained, fixed, decalcified and stained with hematoxylin and eosin. Sections were evaluated and are described herein. Among notable findings were few to numerous intranuclear vacuoles found predominantly in the cells of the stratum spinosum, especially in the dorsal and ventral matrix. These vacuoles displaced the chromatin to the periphery. There was epidermal ridge formation in the angle of the dorsal fold. In several specimens there were clefts at the dermoepidermal junction present most commonly in the dorsal matrix. The previously reported lack of a granular layer in the epithelium forming the claw was confirmed. Résumé— L'aspect histologique de l'ongle du chien a étéétudié chez 20 chiens de races différentes. Des coupes horizontales et sagitales ont été faites, fixées, décalcifiées et colorées à l'hémalin-éosine. Parmi les observations les plus significatives on note de nombreuses vacuoles intranucléaires principalement dans les cellule de la couche épineuse et plus particulièrement au niveau dorsal et ventral de la matrice. Ces vacuoles déplacement la chromatine en périphérie. Il y avait des crêtes épidermíques au niveau du pli dorsal. Dans plusieurs specimens il existait des disjonction dermoépidermiques, principalement au niveu de la matrice dorsale. L'absence de couche granuleuse dans l'épithélium formant l'ongleprécédemment décrite a été confirmée. Zusammenfassung— Bei zwanzig Hunden verschiedener Rassen wurde der histologische Aufbau der Hundekralle untersucht. Es wurden sagittale und horizontale Schnitte angefertigt, fixiert, entkalkt und mit Hämatoxylin und Eosin gefärbt. Die Schnitte wurden ausgewertet und beschrieben. Beachtenswerte Befunde sind wenige bis zahlreiche intranukleäre Vakoulen, die vorwiegend in den Zellen des Stratum spinosum, speziell in denen der dorsalen und ventralen Matrix, gefunden wurden. Die Vakuolen drängten das Chromatin an die Peripherie. Im Winkel der dorsalen Falte war eine epidermale Kammbildung zu beobachten. Bei einigen Proben waren spalten in der dermoepidermalen Verbindung vorhanden, am häufigsten in der dorsalen Matrix. Das schon früher bekannte Fehlen einer granulären Schicht im Epithel, das die Kralle bildet, Wurde bestätigt. Resumen En este artículo se estudia la apariencia histológica de la uña canina en veinte perros de diferentes razas. En un principio se obtuvieron secciones sagitales y horizontales, luego se fijaron, decalcificaron, y tiñeron con hematosilina-eosina. Las secciones fueron evaluadas y se describiran a continuación. Entre un considerable número de hallazgos, se demostró la presencia dede un número de vacuolas intranucleares predominantemente en las células del estrato espinoso, y especialmente en la matríz dorsal y ventral. Estas vacuolas se encontraban desplazando la cromatina hacia la periferia de la célula. También se observó la presencia de la formación de una cresta epidérmica en el ángulo del pliegue dorsal. En algunos de los especimenes se vieron indentaciones a nivel de la frontera dermo-epidérmica, mas frecuentemente en la matriz dorsal. También se confirmo la ausencia de de capa granular en el epitelio de la uña.