Growing skull fracture in a red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis).

Growing skull fractures have been reported in humans for many years, usually resulting from injury to the soft skull during the rapid growth period of an infant's life. Nestling raptors have thin, fragile skulls, a rapid growth rate, and compete aggressively for food items. Skull trauma may occur, which may lead to the development of a growing skull fracture. Growing skull fractures may be under-diagnosed in raptor rehabilitation facilities that do not have access to advanced technologic equipment. Three-dimensional (3-D) computed tomography was used to diagnose a growing skull fracture in a red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis). The lesion was surgically repaired and the animal was eventually returned to the wild. This is the first report of a growing skull fracture in an animal. In this case, 3-D computed topographic imaging was utilized to diagnose a growing skull fracture in a red-tailed hawk, surgical repair was performed, and the bird recovered completely and was ultimately released.

Survival of a suspected case of central nervous system cuterebrosis in a dog: clinical and magnetic resonance imaging findings.

A 3-year-old, spayed female rat terrier was evaluated for acute onset of stupor, disorientation, and tetraparesis. Clinical signs progressed over 3 weeks to eventual right-sided hemiparesis and circling to the left. A Cuterebra spp. larva was discovered in the vomitus of the dog 2 weeks after the onset of clinical signs. Cerebrospinal fluid analysis showed chronic inflammation, and magnetic resonance imaging supported a diagnosis of a parasitic tract through the left cerebral hemisphere. Medical management included a tapering anti-inflammatory dose of prednisone. Clinical signs improved slowly over time. This is the first description of a presumptive antemortem diagnosis of canine cuterebrosis in the central nervous system.

Influence of dietary calcium and phosphorus content in a fixed ratio on growth and development in Great Danes.

OBJECTIVE: To study the musculoskeletal development of Great Dane puppies fed various dietary concentrations of calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) in fixed ratio by use of dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA), determination of serum insulin-like growth factor 1 and parathyroid hormone concentrations, radiography, and blood chemistry analysis results. ANIMALS: 32 purebred Great Dane puppies from 4 litters. PROCEDURE: At weaning, puppies were assigned randomly to 1 of 3 diets. Blood was collected for biochemical analyses and hormone assays, and radiography and DEXA were performed through 18 months of age. Changes in body weight, bone mineral content, fat tissue weight, lean mass, result of serum biochemical analyses, hormonal concentrations, and radius lengths were analyzed through 18 months of age. RESULTS: Bone mineral content of puppies correlated positively with Ca and P content of the diets fed. Significant differences between groups in bone mineral content, lean mass, and body fat were apparent early. The disparity among groups increased until 6 months of age and then declined until body composition was no longer different at 12 months of age. Accretion rates for skeletal mineral content, fat, and lean tissue differed from each other and by diet group. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Ca and P concentrations in the diet of young Great Dane puppies are rapidly reflected in the bone mineral content of the puppies until 5 to 6 months of age, after which hormonal regulation adjusts absorption and excretion of these minerals. Appropriate Ca and P concentrations in diets are important in young puppies < 6 months of age.

High-resolution computed tomography bronchial lumen to pulmonary artery diameter ratio in anesthetized ventilated cats with normal lungs.

High-resolution computed tomography (CT) is the preferred noninvasive tool for diagnosing bronchiectasis in people. A criterion for evaluating dilation of the bronchus is the bronchial lumen to pulmonary artery diameter (bronchoarterial ratio [BA ratio]). A ratio of > 1.0 in humans or > 2.0 in dogs has been suggested as a threshold for identifying bronchiectasis. The purpose of this study was to establish the BA ratio in normal cats. Fourteen specific pathogen-free cats were selected for analysis of thoracic CT images. The BA ratios of the lobar bronchi of the left cranial (cranial and caudal parts), right cranial, right middle, left caudal, and right caudal lung lobes were measured. The mean of the mean BA ratio of all lung lobes was 0.71 +/- 0.05. Individual BA ratios ranged from 0.5 to 1.11. Comparing individual lobes for each cat, there was no significant difference (P = 0.145) in mean BA ratio between lung lobes. A mean BA ratio for these normal cats was 0.71 +/- 0.1, which suggests an upper cut-off normal value > 0.91 (mean +/- 2 standard deviations) between normal and abnormal cats.

Magnetic resonance imaging of radiation-induced thymic atrophy as a model for pathologic changes in acute feline immunodeficiency virus infection.

The development of a protocol to reproducibly induce thymic atrophy, as occurs in feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) infection and other immunosuppressive diseases, and to consistently estimate thymic volume, provides a valuable tool in the search of innovative and novel therapeutic strategies. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using the short tau inversion recovery (STIR) technique, with fat suppression properties, was determined to provide an optimized means of locating, defining, and quantitatively estimating thymus volume in young cats. Thymic atrophy was induced in four, 8-10-week-old kittens with a single, directed 500 cGy dose of 6 MV X-rays from a clinical linear accelerator, and sequential MR images of the cranial mediastinum were collected at 2, 7, 14, and 21 days post irradiation (PI). Irradiation induced a severe reduction in thymic volume, which was decreased, on average, to 47% that of normal, by 7 days PI. Histopathology confirmed marked, diffuse thymic atrophy, characterized by reduced thymic volume, decreased overall cellularity, increased apoptosis, histiocytosis, and reduced distinction of the corticomedullary junction, comparable to that seen in acute FIV infection. Beginning on day 7 PI, thymic volumes rebounded slightly and continued to increase over the following 14 days, regaining 3-35% of original volume. These findings demonstrate the feasibility and advantages of using this non-invasive, in vivo imaging technique to measure and evaluate changes in thymic volume in physiologic and experimental situations. All experimental protocols in this study were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) at Auburn University.