Radiology of CVS disease Flashcards
What things can radiography of the CVS be used to investigate?
Especially good at signs of heart failure, can also gain (limited) signs of size of cardiac silhouette, shape of cardiac silhouette.
What are some of the main radiographic signs of heart failure you may see in left sided heart failure?
Pulmonary congestion (often veins bigger than arteries), pulmonary oedema
How will pulmonary oedema appear on a radiograph in the dog and the cat?
Dog: Often dorso-causal lobes. Lungs appear whiter. Cats: less predictable, may mimic bronchopneumonia.
How can you check whether it is pulmonary oedema on a radiograph?
12h diuresis, then either repeat radiograph or clinical signs will clear as pulmonary oedema is cleared.
What are the limitations to judging cardiac silhouette size on a radiograph?
There are breed and individual variations, there are no precise measurements and so have to be careful with this.
What type of things on a radiograph may indicate cardiomegaly? (Still have to be careful!)
Large proportion of thoracic cavity taken up, vertebral heart scale, shape of heart, dorsal displacement of trachea, distance between heart and diaphragm (normally wouldn’t be touching)
What type of radiographs would you usually take to evaluate the heart/heart failure?
Right lateral and dorso-ventral (or ventro-dorsal)
What is the vertebral heart scale? What is ‘normal’?What are it’s limitations?
Measure the long and short axis of heart against number of vertebrae, add together to get a VHS. Normal = 8.7-10.7. HOWEVER, breed differences, individual differences.
What are the limitations to judging cardiac silhouette shape on a radiograph?
Breed variations, individual variations, different views based on recumbency (looks longer on right, rounder on left), signs you may often expect may not be there even when you know there is disease.
If you have a enlarged right atrium, what sort of changes might you expect to see on a right lateral radiograph?
May bulge on caudo-dorsal border, heart appears wider, may dorsally displace the bronchi.
If you have a PDA, what sort of changes might you expect to see on a dorso-ventral radiograph?
Typical ‘three knuckle’ appearance relating to enlarged aorta, pulmonary artery and right atrium.
Are radiographs better at looking for signs of cardiac disease, or identifying the type of cardiac disease?
Signs of cardiac disease.
