سارنگ سروری

Pre-purchase radiographic examinations of horses are very important for the diagnosis of possible disorders.

This study aims to determine the variation and frequency of common disorders of the tarsus in pre-purchase radiographic examinations of horses and assess the effect of age, sex, and type of hind limb (right or left) on the occurrence of these disorders.

In this study, we used the radiographs taken from the tarsal joints of the right and left hind limbs in 110 horses for a two-year period which were requested for pre-purchase radiographic examinations. Among these radiographs, the cases that included the standard position of the tarsal joint were evaluated for the existing disorders and the effect of age, sex, and type of involved hind limb.

The most frequent disorders were osteoarthrosis (32.27 %), osteochondritis dissecans (5.91 %), and soft tissue swelling (1.36 %). The least common disorders were calcification, desmopathy, and tenosynovitis, each with a prevalence of 0.45%. Also, most of the tarsal ​​joint disorders had a mild degree of severity (80 %). The prevalence of disorders was 100 % for horses aged <4 years (4 out of 4) and 49.1 % for horses aged >4 years (52 out of 106). No significant difference was observed in terms of gender (P=0.65) and type of involved hind limb (P=0.17).

Considering the prevalence of tarsal joint disorders in horses, pre-purchase radiographic examination can be very important for predicting the future health and performance of the horse. Therefore, radiographic evaluation of the tarsal joint should always be a part of pre-purchase examinations in horses.

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is created by the connection between the mandibular condylar process and the mandibular fossa of the temporal bone in all mammalian species. This is a synovial joint and has a fibrocartilage disc. The joint disorders affect mastication, movements of TMJ, and mandibular functions. TMJ imaging can be evaluated by radiography; however, CT imaging is preferred, since the images have no superimposition and present more details of different structures and therefore show a more accurate evaluation of TMJ.

This study aimed to provide accurate statistics on TMJ disorders and to evaluate their prevalence based on CT-scan findings in dogs and cats.

In this study, 265 cases of cats and dogs (102 cats and 163 dogs) were evaluated. A total of 59 cases (38 cats and 21 dogs) had temporomandibular joint disorders. In this study, information on sex, breed, and age regarding TMJ disorders were described in detail.

In the evaluated CT images, osteoarthritis, fracture, dislocation (luxation and subluxation), ankylosis, osteochondrosis, dysplasia, and osteomyelitis were observed.

This study indicated that although the total number of dogs was larger than that of cats, the incidence of temporomandibular joint disorders was higher in cats than in dogs. The most common disorders in cats and dogs were fractures, followed by dislocations (luxation and subluxation), and then osteoarthritis exhibited the highest frequency. In the next rank of frequency in cats, ankylosis and then osteomyelitis were observed. Additionally, osteochondrosis and dysplasia and then ankylosis were observed in dogs in the next ranks.

Idiopathic cardiomyopathy in hamsters can cause death due to cardiac failure. The current case study investigated the capability of imaging to reveal possible cardiomyopathy in a dead hamster. To this end, the cadaver of a 6-month-old male Roborovski dwarf hamster, which showed acute respiratory symptoms a few days before its death, was examined by virtopsy to discover the cause of death. Postmortem radiography was not efficient enough to evaluate the heart due to postmortem lung atelectasis that increases lung opacity and diminishes the contrast between lung and heart. Postmortem computed tomography can be helpful for the assessment of cardiac size. Consistent with postmortem echocardiographic studies, an increased thickness of the left ventricular parietal wall and the interventricular septum and dilation of the left atrium were observed. Thus, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy was determined by imaging and confirmed by the conventional necropsy approach. It showed that the cause of death was acute cardiac failure following idiopathic hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Horses are economically and emotionally valuable animals in various activities, especially sports. Thus, paying attention to their limb's health and conformation is vital. One of the most common diseases in the limbs of horses is laminitis. Horses with this condition suffer from lameness because it affects laminar tissue. In addition to clinical signs, radiographic criteria are essential for identifying this disease.

It is predicted that examining the effectiveness of quantitative radiographic criteria of the hoof can be helpful in the diagnosis of laminitis. Therefore, in this study, five quantitatively effective factors were investigated before and after hoof trimming to determine the changes in the radiographic diagnosis of laminitis.

A total of 11 clinically healthy horses were used in the current study. Using Marco DICOM Viewer software, lateral and dorsopalmar radiographs from the hoofs of both forelimbs were evaluated for the diagnosis of laminitis using effective quantitative criteria. Using SPSS version 24, paired T-tests were used to analyze quantitative data. P≤0.05 was considered significant.

According to the results of this study, there were no significant differences between the right and left forelimbs after hoof trimming. On the other hand, significant differences were observed in the four following criteria: dorsal thickness between the dorsal surface of the third phalanx and the dorsal surface of the hoof, the angle between the dorsal surface of the third phalanx and the dorsal surface of the hoof, sole thickness, and the ratio of the third phalanx dorsal surface thickness to its maximum length in each forelimb before and after hoof trimming.

During the radiographic examination, the hoof should be positioned in a standard way to diagnose laminitis accurately. However, if the hoof is not trimmed or not trimmed properly, it can interfere with laminitis diagnosis.

Impingement of the dorsal spinous processes is a common cause of pain and poor performance in sport horses.

This study was performed to evaluate the prevalence of impingement in dorsal spinous processes and the correlation between the occurrence of this complication and certain parameters, such as age, height, weight, discipline, breed, neck length, and clinical signs.

In this study, radiographic examination of the spine of 50 horses were performed. The information about height, weight, discipline, breed, neck length, and clinical signs were also collected. Radiographic grading was based on the degree of the changes in inter spinous spaces and their densities (0-4 degrees). The clinical examinations were carried out to evaluate the pain in the spine. Statistical analysis was performed to investigate the correlation between the collected data.

The highest incidence of impingement was seen in the middle thoracic area. There was a significant correlation between the occurrence of impingement and age and the breed of the studied horses. There was no correlation between the incidence of impingement and sex, height, neck length, and weight of the studied horses.  Increased radiographic grade often leads to an increase in the severity of clinical signs. A higher grade of radiographic sign in each horse was indicative of more involved inter spinous spaces.

According to the results of this study, Grade 3 and 4 had high specificity with clinical signs; therefore, preparation of a radiograph of the spine before purchasing a horse could be highly recommended.

A post-mortem examination is an important part of evidence-based medicine to understand the deterioration of clinical signs or causes of death in euthanized or deceased individual animals or even populations.Post-mortem analysis is aimed at improving clinical treatment and therapy, confirming a suspected diagnosis, man-aging breeding strategies, and clarifying the forensic cases (e.g., neglect or animal abuse). In analogy to virtopsy in human medicine, diagnostic imaging modalities have been applied in post-mortem veterinary medicine, which we call vetvirtopsy.We hypothesize that vetvirtopsy can be used as a method to answer certain clinical/post-mortem questions to im-prove the diagnosis reliability. In some questions, vetvirtopsy actually can replace conventional necropsy. This overview study aims to compare vetvirtopsy with conventional necropsy for variable causes of death in animals and to define its possibilities and limitations.Deceased or euthanized pets and wild animals were collected. The imaging techniques, such as post-mortem digital radiography, post-mortem ultrasound, post-mortem computed tomography, and post-mortem magnetic resonance tomography combined with image-guided tissue sampling, were used to address the open questions about clinical symptoms or causes of their death.The case series in this project showed that diagnostic imaging techniques are feasible in answering distinct ante-mortem and post-mortem clinical and forensic questions. However, there is an interdisciplinary collaboration between diagnostic imaging and sampling under imaging guidance

Periodontitis is an inflammatory disease that can lead to tooth loss. Mast cells are inflammatory cells that can contribute to the occurrence of periodontal disease. Other studies had different and contradictory results of mast cells and their relationship with periodontitis. In this study, the number of mast cells in cats with periodontitis, as well as their relationship with the severity of inflammation and clinical attachment loss were investigated. This study was conducted on 75 adults DSH cats of both male and female in five groups, and each group consisted of 15 cats. Four groups were considered according to four stages of periodontitis and one group as control (healthy). Biopsy specimens were prepared from the gums, were processed by standard histological methods, and were stained with Toluidine blue and Hematoxylin and Eosin. There was a significant difference in the number of mast cells among the studied groups. The number of these cells was increased with disease progression. It was the lowest in healthy cats (1.07±037) and was highest in the fourth stage of periodontitis (25.21±1.61). The number of mast cells with the severity of inflammation and clinical attachment loss had a direct and significant relationship. The severity of inflammation and bone lysis had a significant difference in the third and fourth grades of the disease. The direct and significant relationship between the number of mast cells and the severity of inflammation and the various stages of periodontitis revealed that these cells play an important role in the pathogenesis of periodontal disease.

HISTORY:

Suspensory ligament injury associated with avulsion or crescent fracture of third metacarpal or metatarsal bone is a common injury in racehorses. Lameness is known to be the most common clinical sign of these horses.

CLINICAL FINDING:

The present article investigated two avulsion fractures in the third metacarpal bone in 2.5-year-old mare and stallion, which had chronic lameness with a vague origin and disability of weight bearing in left forelimbs. DIAGNOSTIC TESTS: Following radiography and ultrasonography examinations, suspensory ligament injury and subsequently avulsion fracture in the proximal third of metacarpal bones in left forelimb were approved.

FINAL EVALUATION:

In radiography, radiolucent lines associated with fragmented segments (about 2×6×8 mm) in mare and (about 2×4×6 mm) in stallion  in the proximal part of  the third metacarpal bone were indicative of an avulsion or crescent fracture at the origin of the suspensory ligament. Furthermore, in ultrasonography compatible with radiographic findings, an echogenic-fragmented fracture in the proximal part of the third metacarpal bone and a local area of decreased echogenicity was diagnosed as desmopathy of suspensory ligament.

There have been many reports on spinal cord injuries in humans and animals, which is  a major medical and veterinary concern; therefore, the present research project was carried out to devise an appropriate treatment approach.

The purpose of the present study was to apply the modified Allen’s test and Royan Impactor Devicein order to 1) induce spinal cord injury on rhesus monkeys and 2) gain the ultimate confirmation by clinical examinations and MR imaging for application in human and veterinary medicine.

Royan Impactor Device  was used to induce spinal cord injury on rhesus monkeys. Five rhesus monkeys were anesthetized with ketamine, xylazine, and isoflurane. Laminectomy  was done at the level of T9-T10, and a 50 g weight was then dropped from a 12 cm height through a guide tube onto a 10 mm2 impact plate on the exposed spinal cord.

The results of the present study showed signal changes with decreasing the trend in the T2W of spinal cord in sagittal and axial areas due to hematoma, inflammation, pressure on spinal cord, and tissue destruction after spinal cord injury. In the clinical examination of all samples, spinal cord shock symptoms, marked by bladder distention, disappeared 3-5 days post spinal cord injury. Not all measurable factors related to the severity of the injury  were restored to the normal condition until the end of the study although their severities were reduced to some extend.

Modified Allen’s test and the instrument that we designed for this study were able to satisfy the needs of the researchers in treating the spinal cord injury.

Nowadays, use of rabbits in research as laboratory animals is quite prevalent, however imaging modal-ities for producing anatomical illustrations are rare. Computed tomography (CT) is a nonaggressive modality which provides more anatomical detailed data.

This study aimed to create a plenary and exact deliniation and morphometric evaluation of cervical ver-tebrae in rabbits.

A CT scanner with two detectors was used in this study. Several parameters were measured in 10 healthy, adult female white New Zealand rabbits and the results were evaluated.

Some parameters including VBH, SCH, PDL, PDW, VBL, EPH, and EPW had no significant difference through cervical vertebrae but other parameters such as SPH, TPL, TPW, SPA, and TPA were significantly different. In the fifth cervical vertebrae, transverse process had three parts, as well as having a big transverse foramen while in the sixth vertebra, transverse process resembled a wide plate

VBH had an invariable measure from the second to seventh cervical vertebrae. SPH had an invariable measure from the second cervical vertebra to the sixth one, then once more it increased at the location of the seventh cervical vertebra and was invariable up to the first thoracic vertebra. This study presents a complete and precise description and morphometric evaluation of cervical vertebrae in rabbits using CT scan. As an important feature of this study, no specimen was killed and anatomical studies were performed using the CT scan technique .

Feline Odontoclastic Resorptive Lesion (FORL) is one of the most common diseases in oral cavity of adult domestic cats.

Evaluation of different types of FORL by radiography and computed tomography in order to accurately and early diagnose of disease.

In this retrospective study during 1 year, among 68 CT scans and 17 radiographs of the head of referral cats to veterinary hospital, University of Tehran, 18 cases of FORL (10 CT scans and 8 radiographs) having different degrees of teeth involvement in accordance with stages of FORL were described and diagnosed. For this purpose, radiographic images of teeth in lateral, oblique and dorsoventral views were prepared and also CT images of 2D in transverse, sagittal and dorsal views and 3D were constructed for evaluation of dental and bones reactions.

In radiography and computed tomography, FORLs lesions are classified into five stages. In Stage 1 there is mild cementum and enamel loss but this stage is usually not noted on dental radiographs but may be felt on clinical exploration. In Stage 2 there is moderate cementum and enamel loss with dentinal loss that does not involve the pulp. In Stage 3 there is severe loss involving the pulp cavity with remaining  tooth integrity. In Stage 4 there are extensive dental hard tissue losses and most of the tooth has lost its integrity. In Stage 5 there are remnants of dental hard tissues as irregular opacities. Furthermore, in this study it was proved that FORL occurs in male more than female cats and mandibular premolar teeth are the most affected ones.

Considering that FORL has different stages and consequently has different severity, accurate diagnosis of this disease by radiography and computed tomography can help prevent progression of disease and results in fast and successful treatment.

Cardiac thrombosis normally occurs in old Syrian hamsters and according to the research it has a higher incidence rate in females than males. The most frequent site of thrombus formation has been reported to be the left atrium and it usually occurs secondary to degenerative cardiomyopathy and amyloidosis. In this study during a period of 2 years, 22 pet Syrian hamsters aged between 1-3 years-old with signs of cardiovascular disease and referred to the small animal Veterinary Teaching Hospital of University of Tehran were examined in order to evaluate for cardiac diseases as well as atrial thrombosis. During the examinations and observations clinical signs such as lethargy, anorexia, hyperpnoea, reduced daily activity, tachycardia, cyanosis, and vaginal discharge were observed. Based on the clinical sings, the initial diagnosis of cardiac disease was made and for more accurate evaluation of cardiac disease, the cases were referred to the radiology department. For detection of specific signs of cardiac disease echocardiography was performed on all patients. in some cases, sampling of vaginal discharge was taken as well and transferred to the lab for bacterial culture. Cardiac thrombosis and especially atrial thrombosis in all cases were diagnosed by echocardiography so that 9 cases showed pyometra concurrently.

Minimally invasive methods are desirable and important for therapeutic purposes and animal modeling of intervertebral disc disease. Most  therapeutics and models are delivered and induced invasively rather than minimally invasively. Application of minimally invasive approaches in intervertebral disc, which is closed to critical structures, would be advantageous.

The objective of this study is to introduce and evaluate a new approach for percutaneous needle placement using computed tomography for injection and aspiration of the canine lumbar intervertebral disc.

This study was performed on eighteen healthy dogs in two different intervals. In each interval, three intervertebral discs were chosen and a spinal needle with suitable gauge were inserted at the center of the disc through the annulus fibrosus into the nucleus pulposus using computed tomography.

Accuracy and agility of needle placement showed better results with progression of study. The number of needle placement in proper position was one time minimally and three times maximally. Only in 10.2% of cases was minor hemorrhage observed in needle puncture site. The average time for placement of every needle was 141 s. No unexpected complication was observed.

Needle placement into the canine intervertebral disc could be applied in a simple and fast procedure for therapeutic and research purposes without any complication.

Minimally invasive methods are desirable and important for therapeutic purposes and animal modeling of intervertebral disc disease. Most  therapeutics and models are delivered and induced invasively rather than minimally invasively. Application of minimally invasive approaches in intervertebral disc, which is closed to critical structures, would be advantageous.

The objective of this study is to introduce and evaluate a new approach for percutaneous needle placement using computed tomography for injection and aspiration of the canine lumbar intervertebral disc.

This study was performed on eighteen healthy dogs in two different intervals. In each interval, three intervertebral discs were chosen and a spinal needle with suitable gauge were inserted at the center of the disc through the annulus fibrosus into the nucleus pulposus using computed tomography.

Accuracy and agility of needle placement showed better results with progression of study. The number of needle placement in proper position was one time minimally and three times maximally. Only in 10.2% of cases was minor hemorrhage observed in needle puncture site. The average time for placement of every needle was 141 s. No unexpected complication was observed.

Needle placement into the canine intervertebral disc could be applied in a simple and fast procedure for therapeutic and research purposes without any complication.

Reproductive diseases are among the most important life threatening problems in captive female iguanas. Egg binding is a reproductive disorder in which female iguana cannot lay one or more of its eggs, mainly caused by improper husbandry. Physiological and pathological process of egg production such as egg binding in iguanas has to be assessed more. In this study, diagnostic value of two modalities, radiography and ultrasonography, have been compared for evaluation of egg binding in green iguana. In this study ultrasonography and digital radiography were used as non-invasive methods to evaluate and describe dystocia in captive female green iguanas. Ultrasonography was performed in ventral aspect of abdomen in two sagittal and transverse planes. While radiographic images were taken in both dorso-ventral (DV) and lateral projections. Ultrasonography provided more accurate and informative results than digital radiology. Radiography can be used to detect gravidity and presence of large eggs or follicles. Heterogeneous echogenic eggs or follicles, with different egg size, irregularity in egg borders and echogenic free fluid in celomic cavity were detected in egg-bound green iguanas. Among these ultrasongraphic evidences, the strongest sign was presence of echogenic free fluid in celomic cavity. However digital radiography is unable to delineate fluids in celomic cavity following egg binding in green female iguanas. Among two radiographic positioning, dorso-ventral view provides more information than lateral images. In conclusion, when we encounter a female green iguana with clinical signs of egg binding, ultrasonography has more advantages than radiography, however both modalities can be informative

While many dental procedures induce pulpal damage by increase the temperature, this study was established to evaluate the thermally effect of different laser methods on pulp, oral soft and hard tissues. In this study, laser irradiation applied to measure how increased in power output can influence on dental pulp by using CT images. Ten adult New Zealand white rabbits were divided into 2 groups receiving 3 and 5 watt for 15 second respectively on left side cheek teeth after shortening of third upper and first lower premolars. Right cheek teeth trimmed as well and served as control. CT scans were taken immediately after lasing and repeated every week for one month. The statistical analysis of dental measurements shows that teeth length of right and left third upper premolar was significantly different during time (P<0.012). While in first lower premolar there was no significant differences between right and left sides (P=0.338). In every week CT, group one showed no differences in right and left side in comparison to group two (P>0.05). Only third upper premolar in fourth week showed a significant difference between two groups (P=0.047). laser radiation could influence on tooth growth in both groups. This study revealed that the higher laser power would have been more effective on reduction of growth rate of teeth. In addition, 3D CT scans could be an appropriate tools for dental growth investigation.

Growth plate is responsible for bone elongation and its injury could result in severe orthopedic problems. This study was aimed to investigate the radiographic changes after transplanting the fresh autogenous ear cartilage impregnated with PRP and MSc in treatment of growth plate injury in lamb. Cranial half (½) in length in full depth of the right hind limb growth plate was resected with bone oscillator and was transplanted with autogenous fresh harvested ear cartilage at the time of surgery in all of the 15 male lambs. Subsequently they were divided into 3 subgroups of 5 lambs in each group, control, PRP and MSCs. Radiographs were obtained from operated limbs at surgery time and 60 post-operative. Clinically, all lambs showed same lameness degree and mostly apparent after cast removal but gradually improved in the treated group which showed normal weight bearing after one month. Early physeal closure was seen in growth plate injured site only in control group without limb shortening or angular deformity. Lambs with MSCs showed mild bone bridge formation (1.4b ± 0.4b) as compared with PRP group (1.8 ± 0.37ab) and control group (2.8 ± 0.2 a) (P<0.05).On 60 days postoperatively control group showed significant mineralization (by 2.8±0.2a) while less mineralization was detected in MSCs and PRP groups (by 1.4± 0.4b and 2.4± o.4 ab). This study showed that MSCs & PRP can quite effective in preventing bone bridge formation and mineralization besides convergence of the transplanted tissue into growth plate cartilage.

Echoes are frequently observed in cat bladder contents through ultrasonography and often mentioned as incidental findings. No comprehensive study has been conducted so far on the precise echoes nature in the bladder contents ultrasonography in cats. The purpose of this study is to provide an accurate description of the cat bladder contents echoes and to specify the relationship between ultrasonographic findings and urinalyses. 30 adult DSH cats were investigated. Bladder ultrasonography was performed. The numbers of echoes in the bladder were qualitatively divided into four classes. At least 5 ml of urine was collected with cystocentesis. Urinalysis was performed on the urine sediment. The statistical analyses were done. Echoes were observed in 19 cases. The echoes were suspended in 17 of the cases, in those cases they were observed and clumped in 2 cases. Of the 19 cases where echoes had been observed in the bladder contents, 9 included oil droplets, 2 included struvite crystals and 4 included hematuria as reported in urinalysis. For 6 of the cats with echoes in the bladder contents, oil droplets, RBCs, and crystals were not reported in urinalysis. The number of echoes observed in the bladder in presence of RBCs, oil droplets, crystals, and leucocytes was not statistically significant (P>0.05). Based on this study, most of the echoes observed in the ultrasonography of cats’ bladder contents can be associated with the presence of oil droplets in the urine, which is in accordance with previous studies.

Metabolic bone disease is a common disease in the pet reptiles. Early diagnosis of this disease has an important role in the treatment and prevention from complications. Since metabolic bone diseases causes bone density to decrease, it is assumed the CT scan can be used as a suitable method to diagnosis early changes in the bone density. The aim of this study was providing a range of cortical and trabecular Hounsfield Numbers of thoracic and lumbar vertebrae in the healthy green iguana by the aid of computed tomography which can be used as a reference. Twelve healthy green iguanas were included in this study and based on the body length were divided into three groups. Complete information about maintenance including maintaining environment and nutrition conditions were recorded in questionnaires designed for this study. Lateral and dorsoventral radiographs were obtained using digital radiology to confirm the health of the skeletal system. To achieve CT plans, the animals were restricted by warping method. After obtaining topogram, with the aid of Osteo Protocol, cross sectional images were acquired from random thoracic and lumbar vertebrae. CT images were subsequently evaluated in Syngo MMWP VE40A Medical Software. The results were analyzed using SPSS statistic software. According to statistic results, the mean Hounsfield Number of thoracic and lumbar vertebrae were presented due to the body length of the green iguana. Since the cortical bone density of lumbar vertebrae in all three groups varied meaningfully and only variable “body length” was considered influential on cortical mineral bone density of lumbar vertebrae. Cortical bone density of lumbar vertebrae can be used as a reference for detecting the early bone density changes in green iguana. Computed tomography can be an excellent alternative for early detection of the MBD in pet green iguanas.

Analog radiography has been replaced with digital radiography for canine diagnostic imaging in many veterinary clinics. There is no data comparing these modalities in a veterinary clinical setting to detect bronchial pattern signs in dogs.
In this study, computerized digital radiography (CR) and analog radiography were compared for diagnosis of bronchial pattern in dogs.
Forty-five healthy (based on clinical examination and history taking) mixed breed dogs were divided into 3 age groups: up to two, two-six and more than 6 years old. Each group contained fifteen dogs. DR and FSR in right to left lateral (RL) and ventrodorsal (VD) views were taken. Two expert radiologists interpreted the radiographs based on counting bronchial ring and tram line signs in a double blinded scheme.
The statistical analysis of results, with Sign Test, shows that more bronchial ring and tram-like signs were counted with both radiologists using digital radiography. In addition, countable bronchial signs on right lateral position by digital and analog radiography were significantly more than in ventrodorsal view. In comparison with analog images, a greater number of bronchial ring and tram-like signs are associated with greater diagnostic confidence in digital modality.
This study shows superior ability of digital radiography for detecting details in thoracic radiography of normal dogs in comparison with analog radiography. Since digital radiography is getting to be more commonly used by veterinary practitioners, it is necessary to understand the shortcomings of current classification of pulmonary pattern approach in digital radiology.

One of the most important heart diseases in dogs is valvular insufficiency, which can be evaluated by diagnosis ways such as phonocardiography, echocardiography, etc. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate of valvular insufficiencies with phonocardiography and echocardiography and using phonocardiography technique in detection of cardiac valvular disease in practice. This survey was done on 180 five-year-old dogs which 30 of them had valvular insufficiency. They have been referred to radiology section and echocardiography technique was used after listening to heart sounds and recording heart murmur and surveying by phonocardiography. The type and location of valvular insufficiency was diagnosed by phonocardiography and then echocardiography was used, the results from both techniques was compared afterwards. In all of these 30 dogs, murmur was systolic and mitral insufficiency and mitral regurgitation were diagnosed by phonocardiography. using echocardiography, the mitral insufficiency was confirmed in 28 dogs, one of them has been diagnosed to have tricuspid inssufiency and pulmonary stenosis in addition to mitral insufficiency. In two cases no abnormality sign has been detected. According to this study, it is recommended to use phonocardiography technique in order to pre-diagnose the valvular insufficiency, it's type and location and use echocardiography to determine the process of disease and control this progress.

Perosomus elumbis is an occasional congenital anomaly of cattle, swine, sheep, and dogs with unknown etiology. This congenital abnormality occurs in both sexes. A dead Holstein calf characterized by musculoskeletal and external genitalia abnormalities was referred to the large animal hospital of University of Tehran. Radiographic evaluation and subsequent dissection revealed that the vertebral column was truncated at the level of first lumbar vertebra (L1). Moreover, L2-L5, sacrum and coccygeal vertebrae were absent. The dorsum of the lumbosacral region contained only soft tissues. Urogenital tract was incomplete, and it contained agenesis of the ovaries, uterine tubes, cervix, and vulva concurrent with unilateral umbilical artery agenesis. Small and large intestine contained blind-ended sacs. No testes, scrotum, and penis were found. The intact ureter was attached to a thin-walled fluid fill sac. The laboratory finding showed that the pH of the fluid was 6 and contained hemoglobin, white blood cells, bacteria, a few red blood cells, oxalate crystalline, and epithelial cells. It was concluded that the collected fluid was urine. This is the first report of perosomus elumbis in a Holstein calf having a lot of visceral abnormalities in Iran.

Turkmen horse is one of the oldest and purest breeds in the world، but there is no information on Doppler echocardiographic parameters in this horse. In the present study، pulsed-wave (PW) Doppler echocardiography was performed on 42 clinically normal 3- to 15-year-old racing Turkmen horses. No cardiac disease was detected with two-dimensional (2-D) real-time، M-mode، and colour flow mapping. Doppler echocardiographic parameters and indices of tricuspid، mitral، pulmonary and aortic flows were measured in this study. Tricuspid inflow velocities during rapid filling (E) and atrial contractions (A) were significantly higher than mitral inflow (P<0. 05). The Doppler waveforms، obtained from the aortic outflow، showed a significantly longer pre-ejection period (PEP) and shorter ejection time (ET) than the pulmonary artery waveforms (P=0. 001 and P=0. 028، respectively). The time taken from the onset of the QRS complex to the onset of the A wave for tricuspid flow، pulmonary PEP، and pulmonary PEP/ET، had a significant positive correlation with age. These values can be used as standard and reference values for evaluation of cardiovascular disorders in Turkmen horse.

Based on our knowledge, there have been no ultrasonographic studies on uterine involution following induction of abortion in the bitch. To evaluate ultrasonographic features of uterine involution following induction of abortion. In a concurrent study, pregnancy was terminated in 6 bitches in the third trimester of pregnancy by ultrasound guided induced fetal death. Ultrasonographic examination of the reproductive tract carried out after the day of complete abortion up to complete uterine involution, in which uterine dimensions were unchanged within two consecutive evaluations. Uterine shape, size, and echogenicity as well as wall layering were evaluated in ultrasonographic evaluations, and mean values were measured in both placental and interplacental regions. Ultrasonographic features revealed that, uterine wall is detected on ultrasound images having six different layers on the basis of its echogenicity. Wall layering was very explicit and distinct within the first week after abortion and lost its distinction in the course of uterine involution. On the day after abortion, placental regions measured approximately twice the size of the uterus in interplacental areas. In the first week, the mean values of the placental and interplacental thickness were 2.11±0.31cm and 1.12±0.20 cm respectively, measured in uterine horns. After the third week, the placental and interplacental regions lost their distinction and thickness. In the last two weeks, uterine horns were almost equal in dimension in every part. The time of complete involution varied amongst these 6 different bitches, being in the 6th, 8th, 9th, 10th, and 13th week after the induction of abortion. The findings of this study could be a basis for ultrasonographic evaluation of abnormal uterine structures and also detection of uterine involution time after abortion or parturition.

An adult common mynah (Acridotheres tristis) was presented with severe signs of progressive depression, anorexia, debilitation, and also a history of moderate pododermatitis for the last two months. Hepatomegally was diagnosed clinically and radio-logically. The bird died a couple of hours after referral. Postmortem examination revealed typical liver enlargement with yellowish brown discoloration. Diffused hepatocytes fatty degeneration was demonstrated in histopathology and hepatic lipidosis was diagnosed as the main lesion in the liver. Providing a very small enclosure and a single low quality perch with minimal activity opportunity led to pododermatitis. Subsequent further activity restriction and feeding a high energy diet to the bird were possibly the triggers of this metabolic disorder. Regarding the bird species, providing appropriate diet and enclosure are essential for having healthy pet birds, and is often ignored by negligent or uninformed owners.