Lower Urinary Tract Flashcards
What is the normal positioning of the canine bladder
Ventral to colon and uterus
often cranial to pubis
sometimes partly in the pelvic canal
What is the normal positioning of the feline bladder
Ventral to colon and uterus
almost always short distance cranial to pubis
What might interfere with the interpretation of bladder radiographs
superimposition of thigh muscles
What could cause cranial displacement of the bladder
1) Prostatomegaly (enlarged)
-intact male and/or disease
2) Other pelvic cavity mass
What could cause caudal displacement of the bladder
1) Often normal variant ( sometimes congenital abnormal with incontinence)
2) Perineal hernia
3) Mid abdominal mass displacing caudally
What could cause increased size of the bladder
1) Voluntary retention (house-trained, long carride, hospitalized)
2) Urethral obstruction
3) Neurological problem- most often T3-L3
Problems at spinal segments _______ would result in an increased bladder
T3-L3
What could cause lack of bladder visualization if normal peritoneal detail
1) small bladder (recent urination)
2) Pelvic bladder (dog)
3) Herniated
4) ectopic ureters or another anomaly of bladder not filling (rare)
What could cause lack of bladder visualization if poor peritoneal detail
1) young or underconditioned
2) Peritoneal effusion (sometimes from ruptured bladder or CHF )
What contrast media should you never use for visualizing the bladder
barium
What can give better visualization of the bladder
iodinated contrast
1) Urinary contrast (direct is more preferred)
2) IV
What might cause decreased opacity of the bladder
1) Intraluminal gas
2) Emphysematous cystitis
How might the bladder have intraluminal gas resulting in decreased opacity (lucency) on radiography
1) Iatrogenic- cysto or urinary catheter
2) Gas producing UTI
What does emphysematous cystitis look like on radiograph
gas in the wall, best seen around the peripheral edges
What might cause emphysematous cystitis
1) Diabetes mellitus - bacteria
2) Long term corticosteroids (Cushings or iatrogenic)
3) Chronic urinary tract infection
4) Gas producing bacteria
What might cause increased opacity of the urinary bladder
1) Presence of positive (iodinated) contrast agent
2) Radiopaque uroliths (stones, calculi, cystoliths)
-Mineral opaque
What are the most common type of radiopaque uroliths in the bladder?
Struvite and Calcium oxalate
Cystine and urate are less opaque but also visible but urinary stones may be a mix of different materials
What should you do if you are having a hard time seeing the bladder and dont want to use contrast
Paddle Shot (compress the caudal abdomen with a lucent paddle)
gas in wall of urinary bladder
Emphysematous cystitis
if the bladder lies straight then intraluminal gas often collect
in the center
Where do radiopaque uroliths typically collect within the urinary bladder
collect near the center
In the female, the urethra is a
short tube from trigone to the vestibule
What are the 3 parts of the male urethra
1) Prostatic - through the prostate
2) Membranous- through intrapelvic region
3) Penile - after intrapelvic region
where do stones typically get lodged in the male
where the urethra goes through the os penis
