Small Animal Abdominal Radiographic Anatomy

1
Small Animal Abdominal Radiographic Anatomy

• Rebecca Manley BSc DVM
• Intern, Diagnostic Imaging

2
Technical Aspects

• Similar to thoracic films
• Positioning
• Head to your left, spine at the top
• Entire abdomen in view (diaphragm included)
• Sometimes need 2 images if big dog
• Right Lateral vs. Left Lateral
• Appropriate Labeling
• Knowing what to look for anatomically
• VD
• Dont routinely use DV on abdominal radiographs

3
Technical Aspects

• Factors affecting diagnostic quality
• Thin vs. Fat thin decreased detail
• Younger Animals decreased detail
• Free abdominal fluid decreased detail
• Carcinomatosis (neoplastic disease) less
  detail mid-abdomen
• Technique important
• Thicker area needs more technique
• Measure widest part- same as thorax

4
Thin Dog Poor Detail
5
Fat Dog- Better Detail
6
Order of Evaluation

• ORGANS
• Those you can see
• Liver, Stomach, Spleen, Kidneys, Bladder, Small
  Intestines, Large Intestines, Prostate/Uterus,
  Lymph Nodes
• Those you cant see
• Prostate/Uterus, Lymph Nodes, Adrenals, Ovaries
• Retroperitoneum (LN, vessels), Fat
• Body Wall, Diaphragm
• Thorax (look at the whole picture!!!)
• Skeletal Structures (spine, hind limbs)

7
Lateral Views
8
Ventrodorsal or Dorsoventral Positioning

• Which side is Right and which is Left?

9
Liver
10
Liver- too big
Costal Arch
11
Stomach
L
Fundus
Pylorus
12
Stomach
Fundus
Pylorus
13
Right Lateral
Fundus gas-filled, Dorsally located
14
Left Lateral
CVC
Pylorus gas-filled, Ventrally located
15
Spleen
Tail end seen on lateral, Free-moving
16
Spleen
Head of spleen attached here -often looks like
triangle lies along side in cats just like this
17
Kidneys
18
Kidneys
19
Urinary Bladder
20
Small Intenstines
21
Air-filled Small Intestines
22
Cecum
23
Descending Colon
24
Prostate
25
Demarcation of Prostate/Bladder
26
Body Wall
27
Sublumbar (Medial Iliac) Lymph Nodes
28
Diaphragm
29
Diaphragm

• VD or DV?
• Cant always tell

30
Diaphragm

• Mickey Mouse has VD
• But not on the lateral view!!

31
Ventrodorsal or Dorsoventral Positioning
Helpful Anatomical Hints! -caudoventral
mediastinal reflection, -head of the
spleen, -descending colon all usually on the
left side
32
Superimposition of Structures
Are these normal?
33
Superimposition of Structures
Nipples!
34
Identify the Structures
35
Any Questions?