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Peer-reviewed veterinary case report

CT scan features of bronchiectasis in 12 dogs

By Cannon, Matthew S et al.·Published in Veterinary radiology & ultrasound : the official journal of the American College of Veterinary Radiology and the International Veterinary Radiology Association·2013·Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, United States·View original on PubMed

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Original publication title: Quantitative and qualitative computed tomographic characteristics of bronchiectasis in 12 dogs.

Species:
dog

Plain-English summary

A group of 12 dogs diagnosed with bronchiectasis, a condition where the airways become permanently widened due to chronic inflammation, underwent CT scans to assess their lung health. The scans revealed that most of the dogs had significant airway dilation and other issues, such as thickened bronchial walls and areas of lung consolidation. While some signs were visible on regular X-rays, the CT scans provided a clearer picture of the severity of the condition. Understanding these characteristics can help veterinarians better diagnose and manage bronchiectasis in dogs.

People also search for: dog bronchiectasis symptoms · CT scan for dog lung problems · dog chronic cough treatment

Abstract

Bronchiectasis is an irreversible dilatation of the bronchi resulting from chronic airway inflammation. In people, computed tomography (CT) has been described as the noninvasive gold standard for diagnosing bronchiectasis. In dogs, normal CT bronchoarterial ratios have been described as <2.0. The purpose of this retrospective study was to describe quantitative and qualitative CT characteristics of bronchiectasis in a cohort of dogs with confirmed disease. Inclusion criteria for the study were thoracic radiography, thoracic CT, and a diagnosis of bronchiectasis based on bronchoscopy and/or histopathology. For each included dog, a single observer measured CT bronchoarterial ratios at 6 lobar locations. Qualitative thoracic radiography and CT characteristics were recorded by consensus opinion of two board-certified veterinary radiologists. Twelve dogs met inclusion criteria. The mean bronchoarterial ratio from 28 bronchiectatic lung lobes was 2.71 &#xb1; 0.80 (range 1.4 to 4.33), and 23/28 measurements were >2.0. Averaged bronchoarterial ratios from bronchiectatic lung lobes were significantly larger (P < 0.01) than averaged ratios from nonbronchiectatic lung lobes. Qualitative CT characteristics of bronchiectasis included lack of peripheral airway tapering (12/12), lobar consolidation (11/12), bronchial wall thickening (7/12), and bronchial lumen occlusion (4/12). Radiographs detected lack of airway tapering in 7/12 dogs. In conclusion, the most common CT characteristics of bronchiectasis were dilatation, a lack of peripheral airway tapering, and lobar consolidation. Lack of peripheral airway tapering was not visible in thoracic radiographs for some dogs. For some affected dogs, bronchoarterial ratios were less than published normal values.

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Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23578226/