what breed most commonly gets congenital megaesophagus
GSD
what are the most common acquired causes of megaesophagus
- idiopathic
- myasthenia gravis
- stricture
- FB
- anesthesia/aerophagia
what are signs of a thymoma on RADs
- mass in cranial mediastinum
- megaesophagus
- CV distributed alveolar pattern consistent with aspiration pneumonia
what are signs consistent with a vascular ring anomaly
- left deviation of trachea
- focal megaesophagus
- ventral deviation of trachea
how can you best appreciate a pyloric foreign body
on LL projection; will see soft tissue or mineral opacity foreign body surrounded by gas
how does the presence or absence of foreign material elsewhere in the GIT in a patient with a confirmed gastric FB change treatment decisions
if no foreign material elsewhere you can pursue endoscopy, otherwise need to pursue exploratory laparotomy
how do you treat gastric dilation without volvulus
NG tube to relieve distention, wait for it to pass
what are signs of a <360 degree GDV on radiographs
- empty duodenum
- esophageal dilation
Note: no Popeye arm/soft tissue shelf
what are signs of a >360 degree GDV on radiographs
- Popeye arm
- ST shelf
- gas distended duodenum
what are normal parameters for the small intestine in dogs vs cats
dogs: <1.6x central height of L5
cats: <2x end plate height of L2
what are normal parameters for the large intestine in dogs vs cats
dogs: < length of L7
cats: <1.3x length of L5 (>1.5x = megacolon)
what parameters do we use to diagnose a mechanical obstruction
if thickest segment:thinnest segment > 2x
what are signs of a SI foreign body
- focally gas distended SI
- signs consistent with mechanical obstruction
- what looks like feces but outside of colon
- gas distention of the stomach in a cat
what are signs of ileus
diffusely distended SI
what are signs of a linear foreign body
- foreign material in pylorus with semicircle of surrounding gas = anchor
- displaced duodenum
- small, irregular multifocal gas opacities in SI = plication
what are signs of colonic torsion on radiographs
- colon displaced from L side to R side
- cecum displaced ventrally
- focally distended colon with gas
what are signs of pancreatitis on radiographs
- loss of serosal detail in L cranial abdomen
- dorsally displaced duodenum on VD
what is a sign of a pancreatic carcinoma that can help you distinguish from pancreatitis
mineralization
