Radiography lecture III

Question 1

At what point of expiration should an abdominal radiograph be taken? Why?

Answer 1

Maximum expiration

Minimizes noise from respiration

Question 2

What portion of the abdomen is visualized on an abdominal radiograph?

Answer 2

Diaphragm to coxofemoral joint

Question 3

What are the standard views for abdominal radiographs?

Answer 3

Right lateral

ventrodorsal

Question 4

Why would a left lateral view be used during an abdomenal radiograph?

Answer 4

Highlight different structures (pylorus)

Question 5

What is the purpose of compression views?

Answer 5

Reduce superimposition

Question 6

What is the benefit of a horizontal view?

Answer 6

Highlights free gas

Question 7

What is serousal detail?

Answer 7

Visualizing serousal margins of abdominal organs

Question 8

What causes the contrast of structures in the abdomen?

Answer 8

peritoneal fat

Question 9

What might cause poor serousal detail?

Answer 9

Emaciation
Young animal (brown fat)
Fluid in peritoneal space
Excessive scatter of ray due to large dog

Question 10

Why does brown fat cause less serousal detail?

Answer 10

Higher water content

Question 11

Are nipples easily seen on a radiograph?

Answer 11

Yes

Question 12

Is the prepuce seen on a radiograph?

Answer 12

Yes

Question 13

Why can only the thoracic surface of the diaphragm be seen?

Answer 13

Border effacement with liver

Question 14

Which part of the liver is easiest to see in dogs? Cats?

Answer 14

Most caudoventral lobe

Left lateral in dogs
Right lateral in cats

Question 15

What is the gastric axis?

Answer 15

Line from the fundus to the caudal part of stomach

Question 16

What is the gastric axis used to measure?

Answer 16

Liver size

Question 17

Where is the gastric axis seen in a lateral view in healthy animals?

Answer 17

Parallel to intercostal spaces

Question 18

What is may be seen in the gastric axis of healthy deep chested dogs in lateral radiographs?

Answer 18

Perpendicular to vertebrae

Question 19

What is a sign of enlarged liver (hepatomegaly)?

Answer 19

Gastric axis moves caudal to ribs

Question 20

What is a sign of atrophied liver (microhepatia)?

Answer 20

Gastric axis is perpendicular to vertebrae

Question 21

What are the 2 types of splenic enlargement seen on radiographs?

Answer 21

Focal, Diffuse

Question 22

Is the healthy pancreas seen on a radiograph?

Answer 22

No

Question 23

If look for a pancreas on a dog, what anatomic landmark would you look for?

Answer 23

Right limb association with descending duodenum

Question 24

If looking for a pancreas on a cat, what anatomic landmark would you look for?

Answer 24

Left limb following greater curvature

Question 25

What retroperitoneal structures are visible?

Answer 25

Lumbar muscles | Kidneys

Question 26

Are retroperitoneal blood vessels visible on radiographs?

Answer 26

Sometimes

Question 27

What retroperitoneal structures are not normally seen?

Answer 27

Uterers, adrenal glands, lymph nodes and vessels

Question 28

Where is the location of kidneys in cats (vertebrae)?

Answer 28

L1-L5

Question 29

Where is the location of kidneys in dogs (vertebrae)?

Answer 29

T13-L3

Question 30

How big are healthy kidneys in the dog?

Answer 30

2.5 - 3.5x length of L2

Question 31

How big are healthy kidneys in the cat?

Answer 31

2 - 3x length of L2

Question 32

Is it possible to visualize ureters?

Answer 32

Only with contrast

Question 33

Why is it difficult to see the bladder in a VD view?

Answer 33

Superimposition of spine and colon

Question 34

What would be a visible sign of adrenal gland enlargement?

Answer 34

Caudal & lateral displacement of adjacent kidney

Question 35

Is the uterus seen in an abdominal radiograph?

Answer 35

Not normally

Question 36

When can a gravid uterus be see on radiograph?

Answer 36

25-30 days

Question 37

When are embryos mineralized enough to be seen on radiograph in dogs? cats?

Answer 37

cats: 35-39 days dogs: 42-45 days

Question 38

Is the prostate visible in dogs? Cats?

Answer 38

Sometimes in dogs | Never in cats or neutered dogs

Question 39

What is a sign of an enlarged prostate?

Answer 39

Normally visible triangle of fat between bladder and ventral body wall is obscured

Question 40

Positive or negative contrast can be used to visualize the GI tract. What is positive contrast? Negative?

Answer 40

Barium | Gas

Question 41

What is the difference between visualizing cat and dog stomachs?

Answer 41

Cats remain in left cranial quadrant Dog stomach span left to right body wall

Question 42

What organs does the stomach lie between?

Answer 42

Caudal to liver | Cranial to head of spleen

Question 43

What % of the visible small intestine is gas content in a fasted dog?

Answer 43

30-60%

Question 44

What % of the visible small intestine is gas content in a fasted cat?

Answer 44

Very little to none

Question 45

What size should small intestines be in the cat?

Answer 45

No greater than 2x body height of L4 in lateral view (12mm)

Question 46

What size should the small intestines be in the dog?

Answer 46

1.6x the body height of L5 on lateral view

Question 47

Where are the small intestines seen in obese cats?

Answer 47

Bunched ventrally to the right

Question 48

is the cecum visible in a dog radiograph? If so, what shape is it? Cat?

Answer 48

Yes, C-shaped | No

Question 49

What is the cecum a landmark for?

Answer 49

Cecocolic junction

Question 50

What is the ascending colon a landmark for?

Answer 50

Ileocolic junction

Question 51

What is usually seen in the cecum of the dog?

Answer 51

Gas

Question 52

How large should the diameter of the large intestine be in dogs? Cats?

Answer 52

Less than/= to length of L7 1.3x length of L5

Question 53

Are healthy lymph nodes seen on radiographs?

Answer 53

No

Question 54

Where are the abdominal lymph nodes?

Answer 54

Medial iliac Internal iliac Mesenteric

Question 55

Where are medial iliac lymph nodes present?

Answer 55

L6/L7 to sacrum | Dorsal to descending colon

Question 56

What is the most prominent mesenteric lymph node?

Answer 56

Cranial mesenteric

Question 57

Where is the cranial mesenteric lymph node located?

Answer 57

Central abdomen

Question 58

What is a sign of enlarged mesenteric lymph nodes?

Answer 58

Intestines displaced in all directions

Question 59

What is a sign of an enlarged medial iliac lymph node?

Answer 59

Ventrally displaced descending colon