Radiography Respiratory Flashcards
Causes of mediastinal shift? Or apparent mediastinal shift?
- unilaterla pleural effusion/pnumothorax
-diaphragmatic hernia - collapsed lung lobes
- chronic pleural disease with adhesions
- sternalvertebral abnormalities
> NB: oblique projection may give impression of shift
What may a rounded lung lobe with pleural effusion indicate?
More proteinaceous effusion (not for definite)
What structure lie in the mediastinum? * those that can be seen on rads?
- trachea*
- oesophegous
- heart*
- caudal VC *
- cranial VC
- aorta and major branches (brachiocephalic trunk)
- thoracic duct
- LNs
- Nerves
What result of injection in the neck may present with thoracic changes? How would this be seen on rads and what may occour 2* to this?
- pnuemomediastinum
- ^ visability of BVs, oesophagous and tracheal wall
> 2* gas lucency in neck fascial planes, thoracic wall and pneumoperitoneum
> CAN lead to to pneumothorax (But not the other way round)
Width of normal mediastinum?
< 2x thoracic vertebra width
* exception: bulldogs, may be fatter normally
Causes of widened mediastinum?
- bulldogs
- obesity
- thymic sail in young animals
- hameorrhage
- mediastinal/ascess
- oedema
- chylomediastinum
- mediastinal masses
WHat mediastinal masses may be present?
- thymus in young animals
- neoplasia
- oesephageal dilation
- sternal lymphadenopathy
- abscess/granuloma
- haematoma
- cyst
What are the most common positions of mediastinal masses? What are the likely causes at each position?
- cranial to heart under trachea
- thymoma, lymphoma, haemangiosarcoma, could be abscess/cyst) - tracheobronchial lympho nodes dorsal to trachea and at bifurcation
- caudo ventral thorax
- diaphragmatic hernia - dorsocaudal thorax
- hiatal hernia or gastraoesophageal hiatal hernia
Which side should trachea lie to?
right hand side
What may cause diaphragmatic diplacement?
> caudal - inspiration - pnuemothorax - emphysema > cranial - ascite - hepatomegaly - abdominal neoplasia - obesity - gastric distension
Potential radiographic signs fof diaphragmatic hernia?
- incomplete visualisation of diaphragm
- enlarged cardiac silhouette (PPDH)
- caudal mediastinal mass (PMDH)
- extrapleural mass
- cranial displacement/malposition of abdominal viscera
- pleural effusion
What are the most radiodense structures in the lung?
Pulmonary arteries and veins
- branch and taper in the periphery
What further problems shold be suspected if pneumothorax seen?
- trauma eg. rib fx
- urinary bladder visable?
What should be suspected if pleural fluid seen?
- tracheal/lobar dispalcement suggestive of mass?
- cranial displaceent of abdo viscera?
What should be looked for if cardiac enlargement suspected?
- cardiac failure signs eg. ukonary oedema, hepatomegaly, ascites
What hsould be suspected if ventral lung is consolidated?
- oesophageal dilation
What should be suspected if minimal pulmonary lesions are found in a coughing animal?
Laryngeal or tracheal lesions
What appearances may be seen on rads of URT? 5
- normal nasal passages (eg. acute rhinitis)
- areas of ^ soft tissue opacity on NORMAL conchal pattern (eg. chornic rhinitis, nasal FB)
- areas ^ soft tissue opacity superimposed on areas of CONCHAL DESTRUCTION
- ares v opacity due to conchal destruction
- mixed
Which lesions OCCUPY the upper airway?
- FB
- mucosal nodules due to oslerus osleri
- neoplasia
Which lesions cause NARROWING of the upper airway?
- tracheal hypoplasia
- collapsing trachea
- thickened tracheal membrane (severe tracheitis)
- submucosal haemorrhage (coumarin toxicity)
- neoplasia
Which lesions may cause NARROWING and DISPLACEMENT of the upper airway?
- retropharyngeal lymphadenopathy
- mediastinal mass
POtneital pulmonary patterns visable on radiograph? Defining features?
- bronchial (affects bronchi only)
- vascular (affects vessels only)
- interstital (patchy and rough looking, CAN STILL SEE VESSELS)
- alveolar (fluffy and cloud like, NO VESSELS VISABLE)
Stages of bronchial pattern visable?
- none
- normal
- thickened (donuts and tramlines)
- bronchiectasis (end stage of all pumonary inflammatory disorders)
What may cause bronchial patterns?
- bronchial mineralisation (normal ageing process)
- allergic bronchitis
- chronic bronchitis
- peri bronchial cuffing (oedema, bronchopneumonia)
