Abdominal Ultrasound Flashcards
Indications for abdominal ultrasound
-colic
-weight loss
-diarrhea
-organ dysfunction
-fever
-hypoproteinemia
-ADR
what organs can be ultra-sounded transcutaneously
-stomach
-duodenum
-small intestine
-cecum
-large colon
-liver
-spleen
-kidneys
-bladder
-gravid uterus
what organs can be ultrasounded transrectally
-small intestine
-cecum
-large and small colon
-spleen
-left kidney
-bladder
-uterus and ovaries
-aorta and associated vessels
-abdominal lymph nodes
-mesenteric root
The _____ the frequency the greater the depth of penetration but the ____ detailed the image will become
lower, less
How is a patient prepped for transcutaneous ultrasound?
-ideally the entire are to be imaged should be clipped with a 40 blade (line from point of elbow-> tuber coxae and ventral until midline) or if image can’t be obtained
-practically clean area of dirt, isopropyl alcohol or ultrasound gel as a coupling agent, and either localized clipped regions if need or entirety of area clipped.
define FLASH ultrasound
Fast Localized Abdominal Sonography of the Horse is a technique utilized in colic cases to image specific locations most likely to identify visible abnormalities in many causes of colic
What factors do you evaluate when imaging abdominal organs
-location
-size
-shape
-margins
-echogenicity (in order of decreasing hypoechoicity kidney-> liver-> spleen
What structure can be seen at location A in a flash ultrasound?
cecum
What structure can be seen at location B in a flash ultrasound?
right kidney
What structures can be seen at location C in a flash ultrasound?
right dorsal colon, liver, duodenum
What structures can be seen at location A in a flash ultrasound?
spleen, liver
What structures can be seen at location B in a flash ultrasound?
spleen, stomach
What structures can be seen at location C in a flash ultrasound?
spleen, left kidney
What structures can be seen at location D in a flash ultrasound?
spleen, small intestine
What side of the horse is the liver best imaged?
right
Why can focal lesions in the liver be missed with ultrasonography?
The whole liver cannot be images as much of the liver is deep to the lung fields
When horses age which liver lobe atrophies shifting the whole liver making in difficult to view the liver on both sides of the body during ultrasonography?
right lateral liver lobe
Besides the labeling in this image what criteria tells you this is an image of the liver?
-sharp margins
-branching vascular pattern
-no gall bladder
-bile ducts not seen (unless distended)
What side is the spleen visible on?
left
Besides the labeling in this image what criteria tells you this is an image of the spleen?
granular homogenous appearance with few blood vessels
Describe the general shape of both horse kidneys
right- heart shaped
left-bean shaped
Besides the labeling in this image what criteria tells you this is an image of the kidney?
size, echogenicity, corticomedullary distinction
What factors due you assess when looking at the gastrointestinal tract?
-diameter
-motility
-wall thickness
-location
-contents
A normal small intestine does not dilate larger than _____ in diameter?
5-6cm
State the echogenicity of the following gastrointestinal wall layers: serosa, muscularis, submucosa, and mucosa
serosa-hyperechoic
muscularis- hypoechoic
submucosa-hyperechoic
mucosa-hypoechoic
Where is the jejunum best visualized?
left inguinal area
Where is the duodenum visualized
cranial to cranial poll of right kidney, deep to the liver
