Cardiorespiratory radiology Flashcards
How do the crura of the diaphragm differ on left lateral view compared to right lateral?
Left lateral - more of a V, meet halfway down the thorax
Right lateral - more parallel
What does pneumothorax look like on radiograph?
Lifting of heart
Caudal lung margin separate from spine
Outline mediastinal structures
What does a pleural effusion look like on radiograph?
Everything whiter
Obscured outlines
Scalloped (collapsed) lung lobes
Lung margins retracted from thoracic wall
What are the most common mediastinal masses? Where are they?
Lymphoma
Thyoma
Cranial
Where is the bifurcation of the trachea located?
4th/5th intercostal space
What are the 3 man pathological lung patterns?
Bronchial
Alveolar
Interstitial
What are the two different types of interstitial lung pattern?
Nodular
Unstructured
Where are bronchial markings seen normally?
Hilar region - more prominant with age
What are abnormal bronchial markings?
Tramlines and donuts - longitudinal and transverse
What can cause bronchial markings?
Chronic lower airway disease
Cushings
Age - calcification
How does alveolar pattern present on radiograph?
Fluffy, hazy soft tissue opacity filled lungs
Soft tissue margins are obscured - heart, blood vessels
Air bronchograms
What are air bronchograms?
Bronchi remain air filled so stand out clearly
What can cause alveolar filling?
Pulmonary oedema
Haemorrhage
Pneumonia
Neoplasia
What differential diagnosis is more likely with ventral alveolar filling?
Aspiration pneumonia
What differential diagnosis is more likely with alveolar filling around heart base?
Cardiogenic oedema
What differential diagnosis is more likely with caudodorsal alveolar filling?
Inhaled foreign body
What differential diagnosis is more likely with peripheral alveolar filling?
Angiostrongylus vasorum infestation
What does a nodular interstitial lung pattern look like?
Single/multiple nodules
Solid - pulmonary metastases
Distinguish from end on blood vessels
What does unstructured/diffuse interstitial lung pattern look like?
Increased opacity of lung
Net curtains
Blurring of vessel margins but vessels remain visible
What can cause unstructured/diffuse interstitial lung pattern?
Infiltration of lung tissue with fluid
Interstitial oedema/pneumonia/haemorrhage
Pulmonary fibrosis
Where do veins lie in respect to their corresponding artery on radiograph?
Ventral and central
What should the diameter of the caudal lobar pulmonary vessels be equivalent to?
The 9th rib where they cross
What can cause enlarged vessels on radiograph?
LsCHF
Heartworm
Left to right shunts eg. ventricular septal defect, patent ductus arteriosus
How wide should the heart be in a cat?
2-2.5 intercostal spaces
How wide should the heart be in a dog?
2.5-3.5 intercostal spaces
How do you work out the vertebral heart score?
Long axis add short axis (count from T5)
What is a normal range of vertebral heart score in a dog?
8.5-10.6
What are indications of left cardiac enlargement on a radiograph?
Tall heart
Pushed up trachea
Straight caudal border of heart
Tenting left atrium
What can cause left cardiac enlargement?
Dilated cardiomyopathy MMVD PDA VSD Aortic stenosis
What are indications of right cardiac enlargement on a radiograph?
Wide heart
Apex lifted from sternum
Reverse D shape - straight left side, round right side
What can cause right cardiac enlargement?
Right AV valve insufficiency
Pulmonic stenosis
Tetralogy of fallot
ventricular septal defect
What can cause generalised cardiomegaly (big heart)?
Pericardial effusion
Idiopathic
Neoplasia
