THE USE OF INTRAPERITONEAL FLUID AS A SIMPLE TECHNIQUE FOR ENHANCING SONOGRAPHIC VISUALIZATION OF THE CANINE PANCREAS

Sonographic evaluation of the pancreas was performed in ten healthy research dogs following intraperitoneal fluid administration. Physiological saline solution was aseptically introduced into the peritoneal cavity of each dog to create an acoustic window that would facilitate sonographic delineation of normal pancreatic tissues. Abdominal ultrasound examinations were performed in all dogs before and after the production of the diagnostic hydroperitoneum. Sonograms of the pancreas and other abdominal organs were scored on the basis of image clarity by experienced and novice ultrasonographers. Statistical analysis was then used to compare the effectiveness of each preparation method. A significant difference (P < 0.05) was established between the scores from the diagnostic hydroperitoneum sonograms and the baseline scans performed without intraperitoneal fluid placement. Sonographic visualization scores for the pancreas and other abdominal organs were increased following production of the diagnostic hydroperitoneum. These results indicate that the technique of diagnostic hydroperitoneum will significantly improve ultrasonographic visualization of the pancreas, and may prove useful in the diagnosis of canine pancreatic disease.     

MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING OF THE NORMAL EYE AND ORBIT OF THE DOG AND CAT

Magnetic resonance (MR) images of the normal eye and orbit of the dog and cat were acquired. T1-weighted, proton-density, and T2-weighed images were obtained in the oblique dorsal, straight sagittal, and oblique sagittal planes. Signal intensity for the various orbital structures differed among the three resonance techniques. T1-weighted images provided the greatest contrast of the retrobulbar structures. T-1 weighted images also had the highest signal to noise ratio, thereby providing the best anatomic detail. Anatomic components of the globe, retrobulbar structures and ocular adnexa were easily seen in all MR sections. The oblique dorsal and oblique sagittal planes were superior for evaluating the optic nerve in its entirety.     

HYPOTHYROIDISM IN A DOG AFTER SURGERY AND RADIATION THERAPY FOR A FUNCTIONAL THYROID ADENOCARCINOMA

Hypothyroidism was diagnosed in a dog which had undergone unilateral thyroid lobectomy and external beam irradiation (48 Gy in 3 Gy fractions) for a functional cystic thyroid adenocarcinoma. Hypothyroidism became biochemically apparent within 4 months of completion of radiation therapy, and clinically apparent within 7 months. Clinical signs resolved after thyroid hormone supplementation. The potential for alterations in thyroid function should be considered in any animal undergoing radiation therapy in which the thyroid gland is included in the radiation field. This potential may be greater if surgery and radiation are combined.     

Results of Craniotomy for the Treatment of Cerebral Meningioma in 42 Cats

Forty-two cats underwent craniotomy for removal of a meningioma between 1985 and 1991. Median duration of clinical signs before examination was 1.25 months. All cats had inappropriate demeanor: 48% were dull and 38% were lethargic. Neurological deficits included impaired vision in 93%, paresis in 83%, and seizures in 19%. Computed tomography (CT) showed solitary masses in 86% and multiple masses in 14%. Intraoperative complications included hemorrhage and difficulty excising deep or adherent masses. Anemia in 13 of 42 cats was the most common immediate postoperative complication. Ten of 42 cats had no improvement or a more severe neurological status after surgery. Eight of 42 cats died immediately after surgery; 6 of these were anemic. Of the cats that survived the immediate postoperative period, evaluation 10 to 14 days after surgery showed that 97% (33 of 34) were alert and 79% (27 of 34) had returned to normal behavior. Neurological deficits, except for vision impairment, had resolved in most cats. The duration of follow-up varied from 1.3 months to 55.1 months. Ten cats developed neurological abnormalities from 1 month to 44.2 months after surgery; of these, 6 had tumor recurrence or new growth confirmed by CT scan or necropsy. Overall survival was 71% at 6 months, 66% at 1 year, and 50% at 2 years. Age of cat and location of tumor did not significantly affect survival ( P = . 1034 and .1851, respectively). There were too few precise measurements of tumor size to make a valid statistical comparison of the effect of size on survival. Location or presence of multiple tumors did not affect final outcome. Results of this study indicate that surgical excision is a beneficial method of treatment of cranial meningioma in cats.     

Development Of A Scoring System For The Veterinary Trauma Patient

An animal trauma triage (ATT) scoring system was devised to provide stratification of veterinary trauma patient populations based upon severity of injury. A retrospective population of 101 trauma patients and a prospective population of 88 patients were used to evaluate the predictive power of the ATT scoring system for survival seven days after initial presentation of the emergency service. In Both groups, the mean ATT score for survivors was significantly lower than the mean ATT score for non-survivors. In a logistic regression mode, the ATT score was found to be a significant predictor of the likelihood of survival seven days after initial presentation for both populartions. Each point increase in the ATT score resulted in a 2.3–2.6 times decreased likelihood of survival. The ATT scoring system is a useful objective classification scheme for predicting the likelihood to survive a traumatic incident and can serve as prototype for severity of injuroy scoring systems for the veterinary trauma patient.     

Ear temperatures in the horse during recovery from anesthesia

Ear temperatures were measured during and after halothane anesthesia in 16 horses and ponies. Aural hypothermia developed during recovery and persisted for more than one hour following standing. The decreased ear temperature was attributed to decreased peripheral perfusion and was considered to be related to other cardio-pulmonary and neuro-endocrine derangements that occur during recovery.     

Hypothermic Storage of Feline Kidneys for Transplantation: Successful Ex Vivo Storage Up to 7 Hours

Objective—To describe the effect of hypothermic storage on transplanted feline kidneys.
Study Design—Kidneys were stored in University of Wisconsin (UW) sodium gluconate (n = 3) or phosphate-buffered sucrose (n = 5) solutions before transplantation.
Animal Population—Eight cats with renal failure and seven normal cats as kidney donors.
Methods—Kidneys were perfused through the renal artery with cold (10°C) storage solution and immersed in the solution on ice until transplantation.
Results—Mean ex vivo storage time was 4.8 ± 0.36 hours (range, 3.5 to 7 hours). Seven recipient cats survived surgery. Five of the cats had decreased serum creatinine concentrations from a mean of 8.2 mg/dL (range, 4.0 to 15.8 mg/dL) preoperatively to 1.7 mg/dL (range, 1.3 to 2.2 mg/dL) within 4 days of surgery. In one cat, serum creatinine concentration dropped from 15.1 to 3.7 mg/dL in 3 days, but the cat developed a ureteral stricture that required revision. One graft did not function, and the cat died on day 19. The mean postoperative survival time of cats that were discharged from the hospital (n = 6) was 254 days (range, 49 to 717 days) at the time of this report. Long-term renal function (>60 days postoperatively; n = 5) was excellent with mean serum creatinine concentrations of 1.6 ± 0.15 mg/dL.
Conclusions—Hypothermic storage is feasible for short-term preservation of feline kidneys.
The maximal length of feasible storage remains unknown.
Clinical Relevance—Hypothermia protects against ischemia-induced nephron loss during ex vivo manipulation of the allograft and allows longer safe vascular anastomosis times. Short-term hypothermic storage also provides time to accommodate modifications in scheduling or anesthetic management of the recipient operation.     

Synovial Hemangioma in a Dog

Objective— To report arthroscopic diagnosis and treatment of synovial hemangioma in a dog.
Study Design— Case report.
Animal— Standard Poodle (8-year-old neutered male).
Methods— A soft tissue density mass observed radiographically in the left stifle joint of a dog with a 2-month history of recurrent lameness, hemarthrosis, and a slight cranial drawer sign, was located by diagnostic arthroscopy and surgically excised via arthrotomy.
Results— Histologic evaluation revealed tissue composed of variably sized cavernous vascular spaces filled with erythrocytes that were considered compatible with synovial hemangioma.
Conclusions— In this dog, synovial hemangioma evident as a soft tissue mass on radiographs was associated with chronic lameness and hemarthrosis, and resolved with surgical excision.
Clinical Relevance— Synovial hemangioma, although seemingly rare in dogs, should be considered in the differential diagnosis for nontraumatic, recurrent lameness, and unresponsive to anti-inflammatory therapy when there is a circumscribed intracapsular soft tissue mass evident radiographically together with hemarthrosis.     

Arytenoid Lateralization for Treatment of Laryngeal Paralysis in 10 Cats

Objective— To describe the signalment, history, clinical signs, surgical technique, and outcome for cats with laryngeal paralysis that had arytenoid lateralization.
Study Design— Case series.
Animals— Cats with laryngeal paralysis (n=10).
Methods— Medical records (1996–2002) for cats with laryngeal paralysis that had arytenoid lateralization were reviewed for signalment, history, clinical signs, degree of paralysis, cause, concurrent medical conditions, surgical technique, and outcome. Follow-up information was obtained from owners or referring veterinarians.
Results— Of 10 cats, 9 had bilateral and 1 had unilateral laryngeal paralysis. Arytenoid lateralization were unilateral (n=7), bilateral (1), and staged bilateral procedures (2), 10 days and 3 years apart, respectively. Postoperatively, 1 cat had persistent inspiratory noise because of minimal enlargement of the rima glottidis and 2 cats required a temporary tracheostomy for management of laryngeal swelling. Three cats developed aspiration pneumonia and died 4, 7, and 150 days after surgery; all 3 had bilateral (simultaneous or staged) procedures. Of the 7 remaining cats, 4 were alive at follow-up and 3 had died of causes unrelated to arytenoid lateralization. The calculated mean survival time for all 10 cats was 406 days (median, 150 days; range, 4–1825 days).
Conclusions— Arytenoid lateralization was effective at enlarging the rima glottidis and reducing signs of airway obstruction in most cats.
Clinical Relevance— Unilateral arytenoid lateralization is a feasible option for the surgical management of cats with marked clinical signs; however, bilateral procedures should be avoided or at least performed with considerable caution because of the apparent risk for aspiration pneumonia.