Abdomen Part 2 Flashcards
what is this? what causes this
functional ileus, essentially “stuff” has stopped moving through the intestines. this is a non specific sign; it could be due to obstruction, but not always
what are some differentials for functional ileus?
- enteritis
- peritonitis
- electrolyte imbalance
- drugs like opiods
- pain
- distal mechanical obstruction
what is mechanical ileus? what are the 3 categories of this?
a physical obstruction:
- intraluminal (foreign body)
- mural (in the wall of the intestines, like a mass, stenosis, fibrosis, inflammation, abscess, hematoma, etc)
- extramural (outside the wall of the intestines, like compression from another mass like a lipoma, or a torsion or volvulus)
what pathology is visible here?
some areas of intestine are dilated, so there are now 3 “populations” of intestine which is abnormal. this case is mechanical obstruction. if you look carefully, there is a circular opacity in the caudal ventral aspect of the image, this is the FB
how will the intestines appear with a linear foreign body?
bunched, plicated, pleated, etc, with comma/crescent/teardrop shaped gas bubbles. no dilation as seen with other foreign bodies
what is going on here?
you can see C shaped gas opacities in the small intestine which indicate sharp turns, and the intestine looks plicated. this is a linear foreign body
why is it hard to evaluate wall thickness in regards to the colon?
because it depends on how much gas is in the colon. The wall of the colon and any fluid in the colon will appear as the same opacity. So if you have a lot of fluid and not a lot of gas, the wall may appear thick, when inreality there is just more fluid in the colon than gas. If there is more gas, the wall may appear thinner, but this is just because there is more gas in the colon. The wall thickness is not changing, but it can appear that way.
what are the 3 parts of the large intestine that are visible?
the cecum, the colon (in 3 parts), and the rectum
what does impaction/dilation of the large intestine/colon look like on a radiograph? what causes it?
accumulation of feces, increase in opacity due to water absroption, general enlargement of the colon
usually due to obstruction or diminished function
what are some reasons impaction/dilation of the colon can happen?
- idiopathic, esp in cats
- a stricture
- spinal anomalies
- neuromuscular disorders
- perineal hernias
- congenital abnormalities
what is going on here?
impaction of the colon in a cat, idiopathic
what is going on here?
you can see how dilated and full the colon is, and it doesn’t appear there is an anus. this is atresia ani
cats can get something called idiopathic megacolon. what are some causes of acquired megacolon?
- chonic renal disease
- hyperthyroidism
- spinal abnormalities
- neuromuscular disorders
- mechanical obstruction
- chronic volume depletion (idk what this means)
what is going on here?
megacolon in a cat
what is pneumatosis coli? how does it appear on a radiograph?
intramural gas in the wall of the colon. it is uncommon but can be secondary to severe ulcerative colitis or with a foreign body
appears as a “double line” in the wall of the large intestine