Equine Abdomen Flashcards
what are the main indications for abdominal ultrasound?
chronic colic
fever of unknown origin
which probe is usually used in equine?
curvilinear 2-5 MHz
where should you start when ultrasounding a horse?
paralumbar fossa
what can you see on the right side ultrasounding a horse?
cecum
cecal mesentery
right kidney
duodenum
right dorsal colon
liver
what can you see on the left side when ultrasounding a horse?
spleen
left kidney
stomach
liver: spleen/liver interface
small intestine deep
where should you look for the right kidney?
more cranial than left kidney
seen right ICS 15-17
best: right ICS 16, may have to wait for exhalation
what is normal kidney size?
5-8cm by 15-18cm
when is the corticomedullary junction very distinct?
acute renal injury/failure
where is the duodenum seen?
ventral to right kidney and deep to right liver lobe
what are the 3 parameters for the duodenum?
wall thickness: <3mm
distension: <5cm
motility
what might duodenitis lead to?
delayed gastric emptying
where is the right liver lobe seen?
ICS 8-15 on right side
how can you determine the size of the right liver?
should not extend to costochondral junctions
when might hepatoliths be clinically relevant?
if accompanied by bile duct dilation
when should you consider a US-guided liver biopsy?
blood work and/or ultrasound are abnormal
how much peritoneal fluid is normal?
a few small pockets of anechoic fluid
what might numerous pockets or large pockets of peritoneal fluid indicate?
peritonitis: inflammatory or septic
where is the left kidney seen?
more caudal than right kidney
usually seen in paralumbar fossa/ICS 17
seen deep to spleen
is large colon dorsal to spleen with inability to see the left kidney definitive of left dorsal displacement?
no- only consistent
what is the most common abnormality of the spleen?
neoplasia
what is the wall thickness of the stomach?
up to 8cm
normal to see wall layering
what would indicate gastric distension?
extend past L ICS 15
round curvature
gas/fluid interface
ventral extension
what should you evaluate the kidneys for?
size and shape
renal cortex: echogenicity and thickness
distinction of corticomedullary junction
renal pelvis
how big is the renal cortex?
less than 1-1.2cm
when are renal cysts thought to be more than incidental?
bilateral or numerous
how often should peristaltic motion be in the duodenum?
every 30 seconds or less
how can you identify duodenitis?
duodenal wall >3mm
biopsy via gastroscopy is recommended
what should vascular markings be like in the liver?
fine, pretty easy to see
do hepatoliths cast shadows?
many will
what is a starry sky pattern?
numerous hyperechoic foci
granuloma, biliary/vascular fibrosis, microabscesses
what is the wall thickness of the right dorsal colon?
<3mm
where is the right dorsal colon seen?
ventral to liver
what might you see in the right ventral abdomen?
retroperitoneal fat
cecum/colon
cecal mesentery
peritoneal fluid
where is the stomach seen?
left 8-15th intercostal space
ventral to lung
how far can the left liver extend?
past costochondral junctions
left intercostal spaces 7-10
