Rad3

Question 1

Ultrasonography

Answer 1

• Ultrasonography is a non invasive diagnostic imaging modality that uses high frequency sound waves to produce an image of internal body structures
• Sound waves are mechanical oscillations in pressure transmitted through a medium (solid, liquid, or gas)

Question 2

Creation of an ultrasound image

Answer 2

1. An ultrasound pulse is created by a transducer (probe)
2. The sound wave travels through the body until it reaches a reflective surface (tissue)
3. The sound wave is bounced back to the transducer as an echo where it is converted into an electronic signal that is processed by a computer to create an image

Question 3

Ultrasonography

Answer 3

• The transducer keeps track of the time that elapses from the beginning of the pulse to the time the echo is received.
• Reflected sound waves create white areas on the computer monitor- more or less reflection= black and white
White is where it is bouncing of stuff, and black is passing through it.

Question 4

Ultrasound Sounds (echos)

Answer 4

• Ultrasound images are created by differences in how tissues reflect sound waves (i.e. its acoustic properties or echogenicity)

Question 5

Some tissues reflect few no echoes:

Answer 5

(anechoic),
o examples include a fluid-
o filled urinary bladder and
o gallbladder

Question 6

Some tissues reflect a few echoes examples

Answer 6

(hypoechoic),
o visceral organs - kindey
o and fat tissue

Question 7

Some tissues reflect many echoes examples

Answer 7

(hyperechoic),
o bladder stones,
o bone, metal

Question 8

The acoustic properties

Answer 8

o Air: Scatters sound
o Liquid: Transmits sound with little attenuation leading to distant enhancement
o Bone/Uroliths/Metal: Reflects sound and cause acoustic shadowing

Question 9

Echogenicity

Answer 9

How the sound waves interact with tissues.

Question 10

Equipment

Answer 10

o Machine

o Transducer

Question 11

Ultrasonography Machines

Answer 11

o Small and large units available

o Larger machines allow greater manipulation of the ultrasound image

Question 12

Ultrasonography Transducers

Answer 12

• Produce the ultrasound pulse during an ultrasound study
• The pulse is created by a piezoelectric crystal inside the transducer (probe)
• The crystal oscillates at several million Hertz per second to produce high frequency sound waves

Question 13

Ultrasonography- how the image is formed

Answer 13

Ultrasonography
• Many pulses per second are sent out and echoes received to produce the image
• The data collected by the transducer is stored in the computer and then transmitted at 15 to 30 images per second to produce a real time, moving image
• The image can be saved and sent as an electronic file; it can also be stored on a DVD, video tape; or it can be printed on photo paper

Question 14

High frequency probes

Answer 14

o 5 to 7.5 MHz
o Most common in small animals
o Provide good resolution and detail
o Limited depth of penetration

Question 15

Low frequency probes

Answer 15

o 2.5 to 3 MHz
o Used in large animals
o Greater depth of penetration but poor detail

Question 16

Linear probes

Answer 16

o Produce rectangular-shaped image

o Used for high resolution scanning of small animal abdomen, equine reproductive tract and tendons

Question 17

Curvilinear (convex) sector probes

Answer 17

o Produce pie-shaped image
o Most commonly used probe
o Used for scanning small animals, including the heart

Question 18

position of the transducer

Answer 18

• Reference mark on transducer should be oriented cranially when scanning in the sagittal plane and to the right side of the animal’s body if scanning in the transverse plane- only on one side
• Transducer should be directed perpendicular to object being scanned

Question 19

Patient preparation

Answer 19

o Area to be imaged is clipped and cleaned

o Ultrasound gel is used to eliminate the air artifact between the probe and the skin

Question 20

Cystocentesis

Answer 20

o Hair can be wetted with alcohol instead of clipping

o Use diluted alcohol to prevent damage to the probe (50% alcohol & 50% water)

Question 21

Abdominal ultrasound

Answer 21

o Used to image the organs of the abdominal cavity
o Best if patients are fasted for 12 hrs.
o Hair is normally clipped from caudal aspect of ribcage to pelvic brim
o Animal is positioned in ventrodorsal or lateral recumbency

Question 22

Reproductive ultrasound

Answer 22

• Allows detection and measurement of pregnancy
• Optimum time for pregnancy detection using ultrasound:
• Dogs = 30 days
• Horses = 11 days

Question 23

Things you can detect on reproductive ultrasound

Answer 23

• Can be used to detects viability of embryos by looking at the heart beat
• Can be used to look for twins in horses
• Can be used to look for abnormalities (e.g. pyometra, cysts, endometritis)

Question 24

Ultrasound of extremities

Answer 24

• Used in the equine limbs below the carpus and hock
• Allows diagnosis of:
o Traumatic injury (e.g. “bowed tendons”)
o Infection
o Inflammation

Question 25

Ultrasound of the eyes

Answer 25

• Allows visualization of the internal structures of the eye

* Can be used to diagnose ocular abnormalities (e.g. cancer, hemorrhage)

Question 26

Echocardiography

Answer 26

ultrasound of the heart

• Used to diagnose and evaluate cardiac disease

Question 27

Able to visualize on Echocardiography

Answer 27

• Valves
• Chamber sizes
• Wall thickness
• Blood flow via Doppler technology

Question 28

Long axis view vs Short axis view

Answer 28

• Long axis view- Shows heart from base to apex in the sagittal plane
• Short axis view- Shows heart in the transverse plane

Question 29

B-mode

Answer 29

o Normal ultrasound scan that produces a moving two-dimensional image of the heart
o Brightness seen on the screen corresponds to returning echoes

Question 30

M-mode

Answer 30

o One-dimensional view of the heart
o Shows a traced display of the movement of heart chamber walls over time
o Used to measure heart chamber size and wall thickness

Question 31

Doppler echocardiography

Answer 31

o Used to evaluate blood flow
o Allows measurement of blood flow velocity and direction in the heart
o Measurement is based on the shift in frequency of returning echoes