CT appearance and measurements of the normal thyroid gland in goats.

BACKGROUND: Goats are increasingly being kept as companion animals, thus their owners expect advanced medical care, including modern diagnostic imaging. Computed tomography (CT) is now widely used in veterinary medicine, in both clinical practice and for scientific purposes. So far, the CT appearance of various body parts has been described in goats, but reports on thyroid gland CT are still lacking. The thyroid gland in goats may become enlarged due to dietary, genetic or neoplastic disorders. CT examination, as in other animals and humans, could aid in the diagnosis of thyroid diseases in goats and could be used for research purposes. The aim of the study was to present the CT characteristics of the normal caprine thyroid gland, in particular its dimensions, volume and density. RESULTS: Fifty-seven goats were included in the study. None of the animals had clinical, CT, post-mortem or histopathologic abnormalities in the thyroid gland. CT features of the thyroid gland were determined, such as dimensions, volume, density, location and shape. The presence of the thyroid isthmus and ectopic thyroid tissue was also assessed. The gland was visible in every animal as two homogenous, highly attenuating, well-circumscribed lobes located in the most cranial part of the trachea. The mean dimensions of the thyroid lobe were 30.3 × 12.7 × 6.7 mm, the mean density was 80.9 Hounsfield Units (HU) and the mean volume was 1.32 cm3 or 1.39 cm3, depending on the method used. Also, the internal parathyroid glands were visible in some animals. CONCLUSIONS: For the first time, the normal CT appearance of the thyroid gland has been presented. CT clearly shows the thyroid gland in goats and therefore can be used in clinical practice and for research. The results of the current study may serve as a radiological guideline for practitioners and may be the basis for further CT studies on normal and diseased caprine thyroid glands.

Ultrasonographic and anatomical examination of normal thyroid and internal parathyroid glands in goats.

Ultrasonographic examination of the normal thyroid and parathyroid glands has been described for humans and many animal species. However, similar reports for goats are still missing. The aim of the study was to present ultrasound features of the normal thyroid and internal parathyroid glands in goats with the determination of their dimensions and volume, followed by a comparison of the results to the gross examination. Seventy-two goats were used in the study. The echostructure and echogenicity of the thyroid and parathyroid glands were assessed. The length, width and height of the thyroid and the length and width of the parathyroid glands were measured. The thyroid volume was calculated using the ellipsoid formula, basing on the ultrasonographic dimensions. Size and volume of the dissected thyroid glands were established grossly, followed by a histological examination. In order to accurately describe the anatomy of the thyroid, new anatomical terminology characterizing this gland was proposed. The mean dimensions of the thyroid lobes were 30.2 x 10.5 x 6.3 mm. There were no statistically significant differences between the right and left lobe. Parathyroid glands measured an average of 3.6 x 2.4 mm. The percentage Root Mean Square Error between the results of ultrasonographic and gross examination was 16.73%, 20.65% and 17.01% for thyroid length, width and height, respectively, and 46.30% for volume. In order to obtain more precise calculation of the thyroid volume, a modified correction factor for the ellipsoid formula was introduced. For the first time, the normal ultrasonographic characteristics and dimensions of the caprine thyroid and internal parathyroid glands were presented. The results may serve as a radiological reference and be the basis for further research.

Postmortem imaging in goats using computed tomography with air as a negative contrast agent.

PURPOSE: Evaluation of the usefulness of air as a negative contrast medium of blood vessels in goats in post mortem computed tomography (PMCT) and establishing the protocol with appropriate doses and timing of the contrast medium administration. METHODS: Thirty three goats were euthanized 10 to 300 min before the study. First, in 3 goats air was administered into the left or right common carotid artery at dose of 60, 100 and 120 ml/kg, and after each dose PMCT was performed in lateral recumbency. As the latter dose proved to visualize blood vessels best, following 30 goats were examined in the same manner but only with the use of air dose of 120 ml/kg. The quality of CT scans was evaluated independently by two board-certified radiologists. RESULTS: In all studied animals the vascular system filled with air was clearly visualized on CT scans. In most of goats this amount of air revealed vessels smaller than 4 mm in diameter. CONCLUSIONS: PMCT with air as a negative contrast agent may be an alternative technique used in post-mortem angiography.

Computed tomographic evaluation of cleft palate in one-day-old puppies.

BACKGROUND: Cleft palate is a birth defect characterized by a lack of fusion between structures forming the palate. Causes include a multitude of factors, both genetic and environmental. Computed tomography (CT) is widely used to evaluate morphological features and diagnose head disorders in adult dogs. However, there is less data about its use in neonatal dogs. The purpose of this study was to perform CT evaluation of palatal defects in one-day-old puppies and to present a novel approach of 3D modeling in terms of cleft palate assessment. RESULTS: Macroscopic and CT examinations were performed in 23 stillborn or euthanized purebred newborn puppies. On the basis of CT data, a 3D model was prepared and the cleft surface area was then calculated. A multi-stage approach, which utilised software such as 3D Slicer and Blender, was applied. Palatal defects were found in ten dogs, of which five had cleft palate, three had bilateral cleft lip and palate, one had a unilateral cleft lip and palate and one had a unilateral cleft lip. The surface area of the clefts ranged from 31 to 213 mm2, which made up respectfully 11 to 63% of the total surface area of the palate. No abnormalities were found in thirteen dogs and they made up the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Computed tomography and 3D modeling were very effective in evaluation of palatal disorders in newborn dogs. 3D models adapted to the natural curvature of the palate were created and more precise data was obtained. Morphological characteristics, CT findings and advanced image analysis of cleft palate in neonates obtained from these models increase the knowledge about this malformation in dogs.

Fatal gunshot injuries in the common buzzard Buteo buteo L. 1758 - imaging and ballistic findings.

The conservation of the common buzzard is assured by the European Union law. In Poland, this wild bird is under strict species protection and it is used as a bioindicator for heavy metals in the environment. A case of the fatal shooting of a buzzard with a firearm by an unidentified shooter is described here. Macroscopic evaluation, X-ray imaging, post-mortem computed tomography, ballistic examination of the isolated bullets and finally a simulation of the assumed position of the bird at the time of the shot were performed. Numerous pellets were found inside the body, together with multiple bone fractures and central nervous system trauma. The buzzard died most probably as a result of spinal cord injury from a single shot that was fired from a smoothbore hunting gun. Collected evidence was insufficient to identify the shooter, which sadly confirms that identification of the perpetrator in wildlife forensics remains low.