Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Where alveolar-interstitial syndrome shows up in dogs and cats
By Ward, Jessica L et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary emergency and critical care (San Antonio, Tex. : 2001)·2018·Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Distribution of alveolar-interstitial syndrome in dogs and cats with respiratory distress as assessed by lung ultrasound versus thoracic radiographs.
Plain-English summary
A group of 76 dogs and 24 cats with breathing problems were examined using lung ultrasound and chest X-rays to see how well each method could detect a condition called alveolar-interstitial syndrome (AIS). The ultrasound found more areas affected by AIS compared to the X-rays. It was also noted that pets with left-sided congestive heart failure showed a different pattern of AIS compared to those with other health issues. Both imaging techniques were helpful, but the ultrasound was better at identifying the condition.
People also search for: dog breathing problems ultrasound · cat respiratory distress treatment · congestive heart failure in dogs symptoms
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To assess distribution of alveolar-interstitial syndrome (AIS) detected by lung ultrasound (LUS) compared to thoracic radiographs (TXR). DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: University teaching hospital. ANIMALS: Seventy-six dogs and 24 cats with acute respiratory distress or tachypnea. INTERVENTIONS: Patients underwent LUS and TXR within 6 hours. Lung ultrasound images were scored for presence and quantity of B-lines in 4 lung quadrants (right cranial, right caudal, left cranial, left caudal). An individual LUS quadrant was scored positive if > 3 B-lines were observed within a single intercostal space. Dorsoventral TXR were scored for presence of AIS in the same 4 quadrants. An individual TXR quadrant was scored positive if infiltrate was present in ≥ 25% of the quadrant. Medical records were evaluated for final diagnosis. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Quadrant-by-quadrant spatial agreement in assigning AIS using LUS versus TXR was fair (K = 0.24 - 0.56). Lung ultrasound scored a higher number of quadrants positive per patient (2.65 ± 1.59 vs. 2.13 ± 1.48; P = 0.012). Patterns of distribution of AIS differed significantly based on final diagnosis. Patients with left-sided congestive heart failure were more likely to have diffuse AIS on LUS (P < 0.001) or bilateral caudal AIS on TXR (P = 0.04) while patients with noncardiac disease were more likely to have absence of AIS in all quadrants using either modality (P < 0.001). Differences in spatial distribution of AIS were also noted among disease subcategories. CONCLUSIONS: Lung ultrasound and TXR were both useful to detect and categorize distribution of alveolar or interstitial pulmonary pathology. Spatial agreement between modalities was only fair. Overall, LUS detected a higher incidence of AIS compared to TXR. Both modalities detected differences in distribution of AIS based on final diagnosis, suggesting that a regional pattern-based approach to thoracic imaging may prove diagnostically useful.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30075063/