small animal abdo imaging Flashcards
what does the spleen look like on US
A medium echogenicity, homogenous structure
what does the stomach look like on US
A mobile structure that can apear with a hyperechoeic interface in the lumen due to gas in the stomach.
what does the liver look like on US
A Heterogenous structure
what does the diaphragm look like on US
A thin hyperechoic structure separating the thorax from the abdomen
Describe anatomically the structure and position of the liver
The liver is located in the cranial abdomen. (1 mark)
More of the organ lies on the right plane (1mark)
The liver has a diaphragmatic (1mark) and viseral (1mark) surface
The visceral surface is in contact with the stomach, right kidney and duodenum (1mark)
The liver is made up of 5 lobes (1 mark) and the gall bladder
(1 mark)
Describe how you would position your transducer for imaging. (3 marks) Use the correct terminology to describe the liver on an ultrasound image (2 marks)
Transducer positioning
- Position the transducer along the sagital midline plane (1mark)
- Have the thumb marker pointing cranially (1 mark).
- Place the transducer directly behind the sternum (1 mark)
- Hold the transducer in the sagittal plane with the notch facing cranially (1mark).
- Direct the beam craniodorsally towards the shoulder.(1mark)
Ultrasound appearence
- The liver is generally described as a mixed echogenicity (1 mark) or heterogenous (1 mark)
- Identify the diaphragm (lung:diaphragm interface-hyperechoic line) and adjust the depth of penetration so that the image of the liver fills “75% of the screen (1mark)
- Examine the parenchyma of the liver and identify the normal echogenic stippling present (1mark)
