Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
CT scan shows common small mineral spots in dog diaphragms
By Ororbia, Alejandro et al.·Published in Veterinary radiology & ultrasound : the official journal of the American College of Veterinary Radiology and the International Veterinary Radiology Association·2024·Scarsdale Vets Pride Veterinary Centre, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Computed tomography features and prevalence of focal diaphragmatic mineralization in 300 dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 300 dogs underwent a CT scan of their chest, and 43 of them (about 14%) showed a small area of mineralization in the diaphragm, which is the muscle that helps with breathing. This finding appeared as a thin, toothpick-like structure and was most common in heavier dogs and those with short noses, like Bulldogs and Pugs. Importantly, this mineralization was not linked to any health problems, so it seems to be a normal incidental finding rather than a cause for concern.
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Abstract
A focal area of mineral attenuation is commonly observed in the diaphragmatic crura of canine patients undergoing a thoracic CT. There is no mention of this finding in either the human or veterinary medicine literature. This retrospective study evaluates 300 canine thoracic CT studies with the aim of describing the CT appearance of this finding and establishing a prevalence in a large cohort of dogs. The presence of the mineral focus and its CT characteristics, including length, attenuation, and appearance, were recorded and correlated with the patient's signalments and anamnesis. The focus was observed in 43 of 300 studies (14.3%). The most common appearance was a thin, millimetric, toothpick-like mineral attenuating structure in the confluence of the diaphragmatic crura, just ventral to the aorta. There was no association with adjacent potentially pathological changes. A significant correlation was found between the presence of the focus and the patient's body weight (P = .03), as well as with a brachycephalic conformation (P = .03). This focus of mineralization represents a relatively common incidental finding in the canine diaphragm and has no evident association with pathology.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38279708/