Luc Breton

Radiographic abnormalities in cats with feline bronchial disease and intra- and interobserver variability in radiographic interpretation: 40 cases (1999–2006)

OBJECTIVE To determine prevalence of various radiographic signs in cats with feline bronchial disease (FBD) and evaluate intra- and interobserver variability in radiographic interpretation for examiners with variable degrees of experience in radiographic interpretation. DESIGN Retrospective case series. ANIMALS 40 cats with FBD and 40 control cats without thoracic disease. PROCEDURES Radiographic abnormalities in cats with FBD were scored by consensus of 2 radiologists. Radiographs of control cats and cats with FBD were examined twice by 5 other individuals, and diagnostic accuracy and observer agreement were assessed. RESULTS In cats with FBD, the most common radiographic signs were bronchial (n=37) and unstructured interstitial (30) lung patterns, lung hyperinflation (31) and hyperlucency (21), aerophagia (19), and lung soft tissue opacities (11). Ratios of lung inflation on ventrodorsal views were significantly higher in cats with FBD. For the 5 examiners, sensitivity ranged from 71% to 89% and specificity ranged from 43% to 74%. Intraobserver agreement was good (N=0.47 to 0.60), but the agreement between examiners was only poor to good (N=0.22 to 0.70). For most examiners, significant associations were found between examiner diagnosis (correct vs incorrect), level of examiner certainty, and bronchial pattern severity. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Findings suggested that several radiographic abnormalities can commonly be seen in cats with FBD but highlighted the limitations of thoracic radiography. Examiner diagnosis and level of confidence were significantly associated with severity of a bronchial pattern.

Palpation and Dorsal Acetabular Rim Radiographic Projection for Early Detection of Canine Hip Dysplasia: A Prospective Study

OBJECTIVE To determine the value of 2 diagnostic methods: (1) the reduction angle (RA) using the Ortolani maneuver and (2) the dorsal acetabular slope (DAS) from the dorsal acetabular rim (DAR) radiographic projection, to predict osteoarthritis (OA) in dogs with hip dysplasia. STUDY DESIGN Prospective study. SAMPLE POPULATION Dogs (n = 73). METHODS Hip-extended ventrodorsal (VD) radiographic projections, RA, and DAS were evaluated when dogs were 6, 12, and 24 months of age. VD projections were qualitatively scored for OA. RA was determined using the Ortolani maneuver in dorsal recumbency and DAS using the DAR projection. Distraction index (DI) measurements from the compression-distraction radiographic projections (PennHIP method) were also performed at 6 months of age. Statistical analyses were used to establish the range of values of normal and abnormal RA and DAS, to document the temporal variation in RA and DAS, to compare the ability of the different methods to predict coxofemoral OA, to determine the influence of pure passive laxity and of the DAS on the occurrence of an Ortolani sign and on the magnitude of the RA, to establish the relationship between the DAS and subsequent development of passive laxity and coxofemoral OA, and to evaluate the influence of the DAS and RA on the occurrence of coxofemoral OA with severe, moderate, and minimal coxofemoral passive joint laxity, respectively. RESULTS VD, RA, DAS, and DI methods of coxofemoral joint evaluation correlated significantly with the status of the coxofemoral joints at 2 years of age. The risk of occurrence of coxofemoral OA increased, as the RA, DAS, or DI increased. There was a significant positive linear relationship between RA and DI (P = .015, r(2) = 0.32), RA and DAS (P = .0078, r(2) = 0.38), and DAS and DI (P = .015, r(2) = 0.33). A negative Ortolani sign was at all times significantly predictive of absence of coxofemoral OA at 2 years of age. DAS best predicted coxofemoral OA for DI ≥ 0.7, whereas RA best predicted coxofemoral OA for 0.3 < DI < 0.7; however, RA proved to be the best overall predictor of coxofemoral OA. CONCLUSION RA measured at 6 months of age in dorsal recumbency was the best predictor of coxofemoral OA at 2 years of age.