Are whole-body X-rays as good as chest X-rays for my dog or cat?

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Analog radiographic techniques traditionally focus on collimation to enhance diagnostic quality by limiting the field to the area of interest. With digital radiology systems, this study hypothesized that whole-body radiographs are diagnostically equivalent to collimated thoracic radiographs. Conducted at a university teaching hospital from November 2019 to April 2021, the study involved 40 client-owned small-breed dogs and cats presenting with respiratory or cardiovascular complaints. Each animal underwent both whole-body radiographs and collimated thoracic radiographs, and the radiographs were evaluated by three board-certified radiologists and three general practitioners in a blinded, randomized manner, based on a 12-question Likert scale survey. RESULTS: Diagnostic assessments of thoracic findings were equivalent between whole-body radiographs and collimated thoracic radiographs, with no significant differences identified by the six reviewers, irrespective of their level of expertise. These findings confirm that whole-body radiographs and collimated thoracic radiographs are diagnostically comparable for identifying thoracic abnormal findings, including cardiomegaly (n = 19), bronchial pattern (n = 12), esophageal dilation (n = 7), alveolar pattern (presumably pneumonia) (n = 6), narrowing of the trachea and bronchi (n = 5), left-sided congestive heart failure (n = 4), pleural effusion (n = 4), rib fractures (n = 2), pulmonary mass/nodule (n = 2), transitional vertebrae (n = 2), intrathoracic lymphadenopathy (n = 1), and hypovolemia (n = 1). CONCLUSIONS: The study supports whole-body radiographs as a practical alternative to collimated thoracic radiographs for evaluating thoracic abnormal findings in small animals. WBR offers a simpler imaging approach without compromising diagnostic accuracy, providing a flexible and reliable option in clinical practice.