Abdominal Ultrasound

Question 1

What are some indications for performing an abdominal ultrasound on a horse?

Answer 1

Colic
Weight Loss
Diarrhea
Organ dysfunction
Fever
Hypoproteinemia
ADR

Question 2

What can you see via transcutaneous ultrasound?

Answer 2

Stomach, duodenum, SI, cecum, large colon, liver, spleen, kidneys, bladder and gravid uterus

Question 3

What can you see on transrectal ultrasound?

Answer 3

SI, cecum, large colon, small colon, spleen, left kidney, bladder, uterus and ovaris, aorta and vessels, abdominal lymph nodes, mesenteric root

Question 4

What type of frequency do you need on your ultrasound to see into the abdomen?

Answer 4

Low (1-5)

Question 5

How should you prepare your patient for abdominal ultrasound?

Answer 5

Clip or lots of alcohol and gel

Question 6

What can you see on a normal horse ultrasoun?

Answer 6

Right: Cecum, Dorsal and Ventral colon, right kidney, liver and right dorsal colon

Left: Spleen, liver, stomach, small intestine, left kidney

Question 7

What things should you be evaluating when looking at abdominal organs?

Answer 7

Location, size, shape, margin, echogenicity

Question 8

Where is the liver located on ultrasound? What should it look like?

Answer 8

Right: 6-15th ICS
Left: 6-9th ICS
-shift right when old and atropied
Sharp margin
Vascular pattern
no gall bladder
no duct

Question 9

Where is the spleen located on ultrasound? What should it look like?

Answer 9

Left 8th ICS to paralumbar fossa
Against body wall
variable extension to ventral abdomen
homogenous

Question 10

Where is the kidney located on ultrasound? What should it look like?

Answer 10

Right: paralumbar fossa to ICS 16
Left: Deep to spleen, paralumbar fossa and dorsal ICS 16-17
ligh techogenicity (fluid in)
Corticomedullary distinction

Question 11

What should you consider when ultra sounding GIT?

Answer 11

Diameter (<4-5mm) (stomach 7.5mm), Motility (moving a lot), wall thickness, location and content

Question 12

What are the layers of the GIT?

Answer 12

Serosa (hyper)
Muscularis (hypo)
submucosa (hyper)
Mucosa (hypo)

Question 13

Where is the jejunum located on ultrasound? What should it look like?

Answer 13

Left inguinal area
<4mm
6-15 contraction per min

Question 14

Where is the duodenum located on ultrasound? What should it look like?

Answer 14

Cranial to cranial poll of right kidney
Deep to liver
<5mm
6-15 contraction per min

Question 15

Where is the large colon and cecum located on ultrasound? What should it look like?

Answer 15

Right Dorsal Colon 6-15, deep to liver
Large colon gas filled, saculations
Wall <3mm
2-6 contraction per min

Question 16

Where is the right dorsal colon located on ultrasound? What should it look like?

Answer 16

Under liver and duodenum on right

Question 17

Where is the stomach located on ultrasound? What should it look like?

Answer 17

Left side
Greater curvature fundus and proximal body
between 8-13th ICS
Deep to spleen
wall <7.5mm
motility almost absent

Question 18

What are some abnormalities of the small intestine you can pick up on ultrasound?

Answer 18

Strangulating Obstruction - gas distended and sedimentation

Enteritis - fluid filled

Thickening of wall - edema and infiltrate

Intussusception - swirl of mucosa

Question 19

What are some abnormalities of the large intestines you can pick up on ultrasound?

Answer 19

Displacement or volvulus - thick wall, distended veins

Nephrosplinic entrapment - cant see left kidney

Right Dorsal Colitis - thickened right dorsal colon

Question 20

What are some other abnormalities you can pick up on ultrasound?

Answer 20

Peritonitis - abnormal peritoneal fluid

Hemoperitoneum - blood swerling