SONOGRAPHY OF THE MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM IN DOGS AND CATS

Sonography of the musculoskeletal system in dogs and cats was undertaken to evaluate the application of this imaging procedure in orthopedics. In most of the patients a 7,5 MHz linear transducer was used because of its flat application surface and its resolving power. The evaluation of bone by sonography is limited, but sonography can provide addition information regarding the bone surface and surrounding soft tissue. Ultrasound is valuable for assessing joint disease. Joint effusion, thickening of the joint capsule and cartilage defects can be identified sonographically. It is also possible to detect bone destruction. Instabilities are often identified with the help of a dynamic examination. Soft tissue abnormalities of the musculoskeletal system lend themselves to sonographic evaluation. Partial or complete muscles or tendon tears are able to be differentiated and the healing process can be monitored. Most of the diseases that are in the area of the biceps or the achilles tendon, such as dislocation of the tendon, old injuries with scarification, free dissecates in the tendonsheath, tendinitis and/or tendosynovitis can be differentiated by sonography. In addition, with clinical and laboratory findings, it is often possible to make a correct diagnosis with ultrasound in patients with abscesses, foreign bodies, hematomas, soft tissue tumors and lipomas.     

A nervous syndrome in dogs responding to treatment with thiamine

Abstract

Extract

Sir,—Following letters of Mayhew and Stewart 1969) Mayhew, I. G. and Stewart, J. M. 1969. Nervous syndrome in dogs possibly associated with a thiamine deficiency. N.Z. vet. J., 17: 91–92. [Taylor &; Francis Online] , [Google Scholar]and Stirling (1969) Stirling, T. 1969. Possible thiamine deficiency in dogs. N.Z. vet. J., 11: 160–160.  [Google Scholar], I feel that the following case report may be of interest.     

Outflow tract segmental arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy in an English Bulldog

A 5-year-old English Bulldog was presented for acute onset of syncope and fatigue caused by sustained ventricular tachycardia with left bundle block morphology and inferior axis. This arrhythmia had the electrocardiographic features of a ventricular tachycardia arising from the right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT), as described in an experimental canine model and in people. Since a RVOT aneurysm was identified by echocardiography, a segmental form of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) was suspected. Gross examination of the heart confirmed the bulging of the RVOT and histological examination of the ventricular myocardium revealed segmental involvement of the RVOT with transmural fibro-fatty degeneration. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first reported case of AVRC in an English Bulldog and the first example of segmental AVRC described in the dog.     

FLEXION-EXTENSION MYELOGRAPHY OF THE CANINE CAUDA EQUINA

The radiographic appearance of the canine dural end-sac and its behavior during flexion and extension of the spine is described in a myelographic study in 22 normal dogs and 26 dogs with cauda equina compression syndrome. In more than 80% of the dogs, the dural sac ended at the level of the sacrum. There were relatively large individual differences in shape and size of the dural end-sac. In contrast, shape, length, position, and diameter of the dural end-sac at the level of the lumbosacral articulation is extremely constant during flexion and extension in normal individuals. In the 26 dogs with lesions affecting the cauda equina and nerve roots between L6 and the first caudal vertebra, myelography was diagnostic in 21 dogs. Myelographic diagnosis of cauda equina compression was possible in seven dogs with spine in flexion. In 14 dogs, overextension of the spine and imaging in lateral and dorsal recumbency was necessary to establish a diagnosis. The five dogs with nondiagnostic myelograms had either a dural end-sac ending cranially to the lesion (two dogs), diseases not associated with compression (two dogs), or only slight indentations of the contrast medium column (one dog).     

Femoral Capital Physeal Fractures in 25 Foals

The medical records of 25 horses 1 year of age or younger affected with femoral head and neck fractures during an 18 year period were reviewed. Each fracture involved the capital physis. The foals were 11 days to 12 months of age (mean, 5 months). No femoral capital physeal fractures occurred in horses older than 1 year of age during the same period. The history in each case included acute onset of severe unilateral hindlimb lameness, 3 hours to 2 months (mean, 12 days) before presentation. Injuries observed were violent falls, struggles, and kicks. Crepitation, swelling, pain with manipulation or palpation or both, and apparent fracture fragment displacement were inconsistently noted. Tentative clinical diagnoses were confirmed by radiography in 24 foals and by necropsy alone in one foal. Twenty-one foals were euthanatized due to poor prognosis. One foal sent home for stall rest was lost to follow-up. Surgical repair was attempted in three foals. Two fractures were repaired with multiple intramedullary pins and the foals were euthanatized within 2 weeks due to surgical failure and, in one case, contralateral limb breakdown. The third fracture was repaired with a compressing screw and plate device; the animal was pasture sound at month 20.     

Preliminary study of plasma vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) during low- and high-dose radiation therapy of dogs with spontaneous tumors

High plasma vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) concentrations are associated with radiation resistance and poor prognosis. After an exposure to ionizing radiation in cell culture an early phase and a late phase of increased VEGF have been documented. The activation was dependent on the radiation dose. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to measure baseline plasma VEGF and changes in VEGF over the course of fractionated radiation therapy in dogs with spontaneous tumors. Dogs with tumors had a significantly higher pretreatment plasma VEGF than did dogs without tumors. Immediately after irradiation no increased plasma VEGF was observed. Over the course of radiation therapy there was an increased plasma VEGF in dogs treated with low doses per fraction/high total dose, whereas plasma VEGF remained stable in dogs irradiated with high doses per fraction/low total dose. The regulatory mechanisms are very complex, and therefore the value of plasma VEGF measurements as an indirect marker of angiogenesis induced by radiotherapy is limited.