Evaluation of thoracic radiographs as a screening test for dogs and cats admitted to a tertiary‐care veterinary hospital for noncardiopulmonary disease

Thoracic radiographs are used as a screening tool for dogs and cats with a variety of disorders that have no clinical signs associated with thoracic structures. However, this practice has never been supported by an evidence‐based study. The objective of this retrospective observational study was to determine if certain canine and feline populations have a higher proportion of radiographic abnormalities, and whether any of these abnormalities are associated with patient hospitalization and outcome. Patients were excluded if current or previous examinations revealed evidence of primary respiratory or cardiac disease, malignant neoplasia, or an abnormal breathing pattern consistent with pulmonary pathology. Any notable thoracic change in the radiology report was considered important and evaluated in this study. One hundred and sixty‐six of these included patients were dogs and 65 were cats. Of the 166 dog radiographs evaluated, 120 (72.3%) had normal thoracic radiographs, while 46 (27.7%) had radiographic abnormalities. Of the sixty‐five cats included, 36 (55.4%) had normal radiographs, while 29 (44.6%) had abnormal radiographs. Canine patients with abnormal radiographs had a significantly higher lactate level (P‐value 0.0348) and feline patients with abnormal radiographs had a significantly lower packed cell volume (P‐value 0.012). A large proportion of patients that had screening thoracic radiographs (32.5%) had documented abnormalities, but a relatively low percentage (6.5%) of our total population had their clinical plan changed as a consequence of detection of these abnormalities. Findings indicated that abnormal screening thoracic radiographs are more likely in dogs with an elevated lactate and cats with anemia, or a low normal hematocrit.     

Intracardiac echocardiography: use during transcatheter device closure of a patent ductus arteriosus in a dog

Intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) is used in humans for percutaneous interventional procedures, such as transcatheter device closures. Intracardiac echocardiography provides high-resolution imaging of cardiac structures with two-dimensional, M-mode, Doppler, and also three-dimensional modalities. The present report describes application of ICE during transcatheter occlusion of patent ductus arteriosus using a canine ductal occluder in a dog for which transesophageal echocardiography could not provide an optimal acoustic window.     

Reoccurrence of a paranasal osteoma following surgical removal in a 6-month-old Warmblood filly

A 6-month-old Warmblood filly presented for evaluation of a left sided unilateral mucopurulent discharge of 5 weeks' duration. Upper airway endoscopy revealed a large, smooth mass in the region of the ethmoturbinates. Dorso-ventral and lateral radiographs of the head revealed a large osseous mass in the left paranasal area. A biopsy was performed under general anaesthesia and an osteoma was diagnosed. A computed tomography (CT) examination was performed to guide surgical removal. Surgery was performed under general anaesthesia and a large mass was removed ~15 × 9 cm. A CT examination 3 months following surgery revealed three small areas of mineralisation. It was difficult to differentiate if these were areas of regrowth or portions of the original mass that were not entirely removed. A CT examination 8 months later revealed one of the areas had increased moderately in size. A second surgery was performed standing to remove the growth. A final CT 8 months later revealed no further evidence of a bone growth. This report describes the successful removal of an osteoma regrowth following initial surgical removal and, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, is the first to describe the reoccurrence of an osteoma after surgical intervention. It also describes a successful rhinotomy in the standing equine patient. This case highlights the importance of serial follow-up imaging after surgical removal as osteoma regrowth occurred in this case.     

泵站竖井进水流道数值模拟与装置特性试验

采用雷诺平均纳维—斯托克斯方程(RANS)和标准kε湍流模型,运用SIMPLEC算法,对椭圆型线前置竖井贯流进水流道内的流动进行了三维数值计算,揭示了竖井进水流道内流场、特征断面的速度分布及水力损失规律。对椭圆型线竖井进水流道与出水流道匹配组成的模型泵装置进行动力特性试验,得出了4种叶片角度下的泵装置特性曲线。研究结果表明:采用椭圆型线设计的竖井进水流道合理;大型低扬程泵站采用卧式竖井贯流结构,泵装置效率较高。     

肝片吸虫感染对反刍动物胆道粘膜肥大细胞数量的变化

分别对肝片吸虫自然感染的５头黄牛和５头绵羊以及无肝片吸虫感染的５头黄牛和５头绵羊的胆道粘膜肥大细胞（ＭＭＣ）进行了计数观察。结果与某些动物肠道蠕虫感染一样，肝片吸虫在反刍动物胆道的寄生引起了胆道ＭＭＣ的显著增多。有肝片吸虫和无肝片吸虫感染的黄牛胆道ＭＭＣ分别为４３１±１０３／ｍｍ２及１９１±６６／ｍｍ２（Ｐ＜０．０５），而绵羊胆道ＭＭＣ则分别为７０２±３００／ｍｍ２和７５±１３／ｍｍ２（Ｐ＜０．０１）。     

牛肝片吸虫及其对胆管损伤的组织化学和扫描电镜观察

牛肝片吸虫的成虫体表有环行排列的、呈“牛舌状”的棘,其顶部有?数个齿;迷走幼虫体表无体棘,仅有环状排列的、粗细不一的皱纹,其头锥较长,约为虫体的1/2,口腹吸盘是圆形,上有细皱纹和数个乳突。受损职管的大部分功能消失殆尽。而增生小胆管则功能旺盛。浸润的嗜酸粒细胞、淋巴细胞功能较活跃。浸润的细胞中未见巨噬细胞。探讨了虫体与胆管损伤的关系。     

RADIOGRAPHIC AND 2-D ECHOCARDIOGRAPHIC FINDINGS IN EIGHTEEN CATS EXPERIMENTALLY EXPOSED TO D. ZMMZTZS VIA MOSQUITO BITES

Eighteen cats were exposed to Dirofikria immitis infected mosquitoes. Thoracic radiography was performed prior to exposure and at 5, 7, and 9 month intervals following exposure. Immunologic testing for adult heartworm antigen was performed on days 168,195,210,224,237,254 and 271 post infection. Necropsies were performed on all cats. Adult heartworms were found in 61% of the exposed cats. Radiographic findings in heartworm positive cats included bronchointerstitial lung disease, lobar pulmonary arterial enlargement and pulmonary hyperinflation. In most heartworm positive cats, lobar arterial enlargement resolved as the disease progressed while pulmonary hyperinflation progressively became more common. Pulmonary patterns in heartworm positive cats remained abnormal throughoutthe study while abnormal pulmonary patterns resolved in over 50% of the heartworm negative cats. Cardiomegaly was seen in less than 50% of the cats with adult heartworms at necropsy. This study suggests that the radiographic appearance of heartworm disease is variable and radiographic changes are dependent on the time post infection at which cats are evaluated. Echocardiographic examinations were randomly performed on 16 of 18 cats. Heartworms were identified in 7 cats. No false positive identifications were made. Persistent pulmonary disease accompanied by resolving vascular disease in heartworm cats with pulmonary hyperinflation may be difficult to distinguish from cats with feline allergic lung disease. Echocardiograms may be helpful in identifying adult heartworms in cats in which the radiographic signs or immunodiagnostic data are insufficient to provide a diagnosis.     

Pancreatic duct obstruction in the pig: electron microscopy of chronic pancreatitis

Ultrastructural alterations of pancreatic tissues in growing pigs caused by surgical ligation of the main pancreatic duct are described. Five animals aged 6 to 7 weeks were operated on and necropsied 2, 6 or 8 weeks later. In addition, 3 pigs that were sham-operated served as controls. Obstruction of the ducts caused progressive luminal dilatations and rupture of intercellular connections of the epithelium followed by destruction and atrophy of acinar parenchyma and proliferations of immature ductular epithelial cells free from zymogen granules.     

FLUOROSCOPICALLY GUIDED PERCUTANEOUS FINE-NEEDLE ASPIRATION BIOPSY OF THORACIC LESIONS IN DOGS AND CATS

Forty-eight fine-needle aspiration biopsy specimens of intrathoracic lesions were obtained with a Westcott needle by localizing needle placement using TV-monitored, image-amplified fluoroscopy and by detecting changes in tactile sensation. Thiryt-five lesions were pulmonary in origin and 13 were within the mediastinum. Most biospy specimens were obtained with the patients sedated, however, general anesthesia was used in one patient to prevent movement that could have resulted in puncture of a critical structure. The only clinical and radiographic complication from this procedure was pneumothorax, occurring in eight dogs and resulting in one death. Definitive diagnoses were made from tissue obtained from 37 of the 48 lesions sampled for a sensitivity rate of 77.1%. Fine-needle aspiration biopsy was found to be a simple, safe, and accurate diagnostic technique.