In the staging process of the breast cancer, demonstrating metastasis of the sentinel lymph node (SLN) has an important prognostic value, in both humans and animals. The aim of this prospective case-control study was to determine the diagnostic value of computed tomographic indirect lymphography (CT-LG) for detecting SLN metastasis in dogs with mammary cancer. Thirty-three female dogs with tumors in the abdominal and inguinal mammary glands were prospectively selected and subjected to CT-LG, 1 and 5 min after injection of 1 ml of contrast agent (iopamidol) in the subareolar tissue of the neoplastic and the contralateral normal mammary glands. The pattern of postcontrast opacification, degree of postcontrast enhancement, and size and shape were assessed in 65 SLNs in total and were correlated with histopathological findings. The absence of opacification or heterogeneous opacification 1 min after contrast medium injection showed the highest sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy (93%, 100%, and 98.4%, respectively). In images taken 1 min after injection, an absolute density value lower than 444 Hounsfield units (HU) in the center of the SLN also provided significant sensitivity and specificity (93.8% and 75%, respectively). The size and shape of the SLN (maximum and minimum diameter, maximum/minimum diameter ratio, maximum diameter/height of fifth thoracic vertebral body ratio) showed the lowest sensitivity and specificity. Results of this study support the hypothesis that CT-LG could help in the assessment of SLN metastasis in cases of mammary gland tumors in dogs.

Summary The clinical features, radiographic findings, management and outcome in 13 cases of traumatic fracture of the hock joint are reported. The principal fracture sites were the distal tibial malleoli (5 cases), the fibular tarsal bone (4 cases), the tibial tarsal bone (3 cases) and the proximal end of metatarsal IV (one case). An additional small chip fracture of the central tarsal was noted in 2 cases. Three horses were destroyed immediately after diagnosis, 2 failed to recover following surgical intervention and one remained lame and was destroyed after 3 months' rest. Seven horses recovered completely and returned to work following periods of rest ranging from 3 to 9 months. The fracture involved the lateral or medial malleolus in 5 of these cases and the fibular tarsal in the other 2. Résumé On décrit les aspects cliniques, radiographiques l'approche médicale et le devenir de 13 cas de fractures traumatiques du jarret. Les localisations principales des fractures étaient les malléoles tibiales distales (5 cas), le calcaneum (4 cas), l'ostragale (3 cas) et l'extrémité proximate du métatarsien externe (1 cas). En outre, des petites fractures fragmentaires de l'os scaphoide furent observées dans 2 cas. Trois chevaux furent supprimés immédiatement. Deux ne purent être récupérés après intervention chirurgicale et un troisième resté boiteux fut abattu après un repos de 3 mois. Sept chevaux guérirent complétement et furent remis au travail au terme d'un repos de 3 à 9 mois. Il s'est alors agi de fractures malleolaires tibiales dans 5 cas et de fráctures de l'ostragale dans deux cas. Zusammenfassung Das klinische Bild, die Röntgenbefunde, die Plege und das Ergebnis von 13 Fällen traumatischer Sprunggelenksfrakturen werden beschrieben. Die wichtigsten Bruchstellen fanden sich im Malleolus tibiae (5 Pferde), im Calcaneus (4), im Talus (3) und im proximalen Ende des Metatarsus IV (1). Bei zwei Fällen wurde dazu noch eine kleine Absprengfraktur am os tarsi centrale festgestellt. Drei Pferde wurden unmittelbar nach der Diagnosestellung getötet, zwei erholten sich nicht nach dem operativen Eingriff, ein Tier blieb weiterhin lahm und wurde nach drei Monaten Ruhestellung wieder in Arbeit genommen. Die Brüche befanden sich am lateralen order medialen Malleolus tibiae bei 5 Pferden und am Calcaneus bei den anderen beiden Tieren.

Thiamine (vitamin B(1)) is an essential component of a number of metabolic pathways and thiamine deficiency results in a progressive encephalopathy in both humans and animals. Confirming thiamine deficiency is problematic and relies on demonstrating reduced red blood cells transketolase activity, or indirect methods including urinary organic acid analysis and dietary analysis. The characteristic and selective vulnerability of different brain regions in carnivores has been demonstrated by magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in the dog and cat as an aid to diagnosis. A 2-year-old, female, domestic shorthair cat was presented with an acute onset of seizures and ataxia. MR imaging was consistent with thiamine deficiency and supplementation resulted in a progressive clinical improvement. Repeated MR imaging 4 days after starting thiamine supplementation revealed near complete resolution of the MR abnormalities. Repeated MR imaging following appropriate therapy may be useful to further confirm thiamine deficiency.

The potential of computed tomography indirect lymphography (CT-indirect lymphography) and radiographic indirect lymphography to demonstrate the draining lymphatic vessels and sentinel lymph node of normal mammary glands was tested in 31 healthy female cats. The lymphatic drainage of each mammary gland was studied initially by CT-indirect lymphography after intramammary injection of 0.5 ml of iopamidol, followed by images acquired at 1, 5, 15, and 30 min after injection. One day after CT-indirect lymphography, the lymph drainage of the mammary gland was assessed using radiographic in direct lymphography af terintramammary injection of 0.5 ml of ethiodized oil followed by radiographs made at 1, 5, 15, 30, 45, and 60 min after injection. The time between intramammary injection and opacification of the draining mammary lymphatic vessels and the sentinel lymph node, the duration of adequate opacification of the draining mammary lymphatic vessels and of the sentinel lymph node and also the number and course of draining mammary lymphatic vessels and location of sentinel lymph node were compared for CT-indirect lymphography vs. radiographic indirect lymphography in each examined gland. This results suggest that radiographic indirect lymphography is easy to perform and can be used for accurate demonstration of the draining lymphatic pathways of mammary glands in radiographs made at 5-30 min after injection. However, CT-indirect lymphography was able to better demonstrate small lymphatic vessels and accurately define the exact topography of the sentinel lymph node in images acquired at 1 min after injection.

To compare the incidence of radiographic signs in dogs with rhinitis and primary nasal neoplasia and to assess the performance of observers for distinguishing these conditions, the nasal radiographs of 72 dogs with either rhinitis (n = 42) or primary nasal neoplasia (n = 30) were examined by two independent observers using custom-designed forms to record their interpretations. Rhinitis was associated with a higher incidence of focal or multifocal lesions, localised soft tissue opacities, lucent foci, and a lack of frontal sinus involvement. Neoplasia was associated with soft tissue opacities and loss of turbinate detail that affected the entire ipsilateral nasal cavity, signs of invasion of the bones surrounding the nasal cavity, and soft tissue/fluid opacities within the ipsilateral frontal sinus. The signs with the highest positive predictive value (PPV) for rhinitis were absence of frontal sinus lesions and lucent foci in nasal cavity (PPV of each 82%), and invasion of surrounding bones for neoplasia (PPV 88%). There were no significant differences in the position of the lesion within the nasal cavity, incidence of unilateral versus bilateral lesions, calcified lesions, or absence of teeth. There was moderate agreement between observers about the diagnosis (kappa 0.59). Areas (SE) under ROC curves were 0.94 (0.03) and 0.96 (0.03) for observers A and B, respectively (not significantly different; P = 0.68). These results indicate a high accuracy for radiologists examining dogs with nasal diseases. Differentiation of rhinitis and nasal neoplasia should be based on finding combinations of radiologic signs that together have a high PPV. Differences in interpretation between experienced observers in this study suggest that certain signs are potential sources of error.