role of radiography in diagnosing some canine thoracic affections

ABSTRACT

Radiographic images of the thorax are important for evaluating patients with known or suspected thoracic diseases. Thoracic radiography provides direct information about lesions or abnormalities in lung parenchyma, airways, and pleural and mediastinal spaces. Methodology: The present study was carried out between October 2006 and June 2009. Plain thoracic radiography was done on 82 clinical cases of dogs diagnosed clinically as having respiratory disease. Contrast media was used where indicated. The recorded affections were; pectus excavatum [2], tracheal collapse [5], esophegeal dilatation [9], mediastinal foreign body [2], pneumomediastinum [2], tension pneumothorax [5], pneumothorax [12], hydropneumothorax [1], pleural effusion -mild- [4], moderate [9], severe [15], primary lung neoplasm [3], focal metastatic pulmonary neoplasia [7], metastatic tracheobronchial lymphadenopathy [2], metastatic rib neoplasm [1], and pulmonary bullae [3]. Thoracic radiography serves to verify the diagnosis, document the extent and location of the lesion, assist in detecting complication and also helps in classifying the lesions