Radiology 101
Radiographs, which are commonly called x-rays, are one of the techniques used by veterinarians to diagnose conditions in your pet. Have you ever wondered what it is we are looking at? If so, here is a brief introduction to radiology.
Radiographs are black and white images. Five different 'densities' are recognized in studying radiographs.
1) Black...denotes air2) Dark gray...denotes fat3) Light gray...denotes liquid or soft tissues. Most organs appear light gray4) White...denotes bone5) Bright white...denotes metal or mineral
On the left is a diagram of a dog showing some of the bones and internal organs. The area in the red square is depicted in the radiograph to the right. (A) shows white bone, in this case a vertebra. (B) shows black air, in this case air inside loops of small intestine. (C) shows light gray soft tissue, in this case the bladder. This is a normal dog abdomen.
Now, try out your skills on the examples that follow!
(1) This is a radiograph of the abdomen of a dog, similar to the normal radiograph above. This dog was not sick, however she had gained several pounds. See all the extra white spots in her abdomen? What is your diagnosis?
(2) This is another radiograph of a dog's abdomen. This dog was having trouble urinating. This is a picture of what we removed surgically from this dog.
What is your diagnosis?
(3) The radiograph on the left is from a dog on it's back. You can see his pelvis (A), his femurs (B), and his ball-and-socket joints (C). This is from a normal dog. The dog on the right was hit by a car. Check out the ball and socket joints. What is your diagnosis?
(4) This is also a radiograph of a pelvis. This dog was also hit by a car. The ball-and-socket joints are okay, but look at his femurs. What is your diagnosis?
Answers:
(1) This dog delivered 8 puppies one week after this was taken. Look carefully and you can see little skulls and backbones.(2) This dog had many, many bladder stones. The stones appear bright white on x-rays because they are made up of minerals, in this case different phosphates.(3) This dog has one dislocated hip. The other hip is okay.(4) This dog has BOTH his femurs broken. The repair is shown below:
These broken femurs were repaired with wires (B) and pins and fixators (A) all made with surgical steel, so they are bright white on radiographs. The radiograph on the left is after surgery, the radiograph on the right is after healing. the wires are left in place. This dog is currently happy, healthy, and running around like crazy.
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