Assessment of the thorax is equivalent when presented with whole body versus collimated thoracic radiographs in dogs and cats.

BACKGROUND

Analog radiographic techniques traditionally focus on collimation to enhance diagnostic quality by limiting the field to the area of interest. With digital radiology systems, this study hypothesized that whole-body radiographs are diagnostically equivalent to collimated thoracic radiographs. Conducted at a university teaching hospital from November 2019 to April 2021, the study involved 40 client-owned small-breed dogs and cats presenting with respiratory or cardiovascular complaints. Each animal underwent both whole-body radiographs and collimated thoracic radiographs, and the radiographs were evaluated by three board-certified radiologists and three general practitioners in a blinded, randomized manner, based on a 12-question Likert scale survey.

RESULTS

Diagnostic assessments of thoracic findings were equivalent between whole-body radiographs and collimated thoracic radiographs, with no significant differences identified by the six reviewers, irrespective of their level of expertise. These findings confirm that whole-body radiographs and collimated thoracic radiographs are diagnostically comparable for identifying thoracic abnormal findings, including cardiomegaly (n = 19), bronchial pattern (n = 12), esophageal dilation (n = 7), alveolar pattern (presumably pneumonia) (n = 6), narrowing of the trachea and bronchi (n = 5), left-sided congestive heart failure (n = 4), pleural effusion (n = 4), rib fractures (n = 2), pulmonary mass/nodule (n = 2), transitional vertebrae (n = 2), intrathoracic lymphadenopathy (n = 1), and hypovolemia (n = 1).

CONCLUSIONS

The study supports whole-body radiographs as a practical alternative to collimated thoracic radiographs for evaluating thoracic abnormal findings in small animals. WBR offers a simpler imaging approach without compromising diagnostic accuracy, providing a flexible and reliable option in clinical practice.