MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING OF NORMAL CANINE CARPAL LIGAMENTS

Magnetic resonance imaging was conducted on previously frozen left carpi from six normal dogs using a 1.5 Tesla magnet in combination with a transmit/receive wrist coil. Three-millimeter thick T1-weighted spin-echo images and 1-mm thick T2*-weighted gradient-recalled 3-D images were obtained in dorsal and sagittal planes. Carpi were embedded, sectioned, and stained. Anatomic structures on the histologic sections were correlated with the MR images. All of the carpal ligaments plus the radioulnar articular disc and the palmar fibrocartilage were identified on MR images. The accessorio-quartile ligament, which had not been well described previously in dogs, was also identified. It originated on the accessory carpal bone and inserted on the fourth carpal bone. The T2*-weighted gradient echo imaging technique provided better images than T1-weighted technique, largely because thinner slices were possible (1 mm vs. 3 mm), resulting in less volume averaging of thin ligaments with surrounding structures. Although MRI is currently the imaging modality of choice to identify ligamentous injury in humans, further studies are needed to determine if abnormalities can be detected in canine carpal ligaments using MRI.     

Surgical Correction of Periocular Fat Pad Hypertrophy in Pot-Bellied Pigs

OBJECTIVE: To report surgical correction of hypertrophic periocular fat pads that cause loss of vision and behavioral changes in pot-bellied pigs. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective study. ANIMALS OR SAMPLE POPULATION: Nine Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs. METHODS: Medical records of nine pot-bellied pigs admitted between 1994 and 1997 for loss of vision associated with hypertrophied periocular fat accumulations were reviewed. Outcome was assessed by contacting owners 4 months to 5 years after surgery. RESULTS: The most common clinical signs were related to impaired vision and included periocular dermatitis, lethargy, and aggressive behavior. Surgical removal of redundant periorbital fat and skin resulted in marked improvement in vision and behavior in all pigs. Overall client satisfaction was excellent.     

Nutritional Programming of Intrauterine Development: A Concept Applicable to the Horse?

Human epidemiological observations and studies of experimental animals have shown that low birth weight is associated with adult phenotypes characterized by abnormalities in cardiovascular, metabolic, and endocrine function. In human populations, these changes can lead to overt degenerative diseases such as hypertension and type 2 diabetes. Because fetal growth depends primarily on the nutrient supply, the associations between birth weight and adult phenotype have been linked to poor nutrition in utero. The fetal supply of nutrients and oxygen depends on both the availability of these substances in the mother and the functional capacity of the placenta to supply them to the fetus. This review takes a comparative approach to examining the nutritional programming of adult physiological phenotype in mammals with emphasis on the horse where possible. It considers the role of maternal nutritional state and placental function in these processes and discusses the cellular and molecular mechanisms operating in utero that are responsible for the epigenetic regulation of phenotypical diversity.