Ultrasonography of the lungs and abdomen in bovine neonates in special consideration of pathological changes
Abstract
The diagnosis of newborn calves diseases relies almost exclusively on the physical examination. As signs of illness in the bovine neonate are frequently vague and non-localizing, the diagnosis of respiratory and abdominal diseases may be problematic. This often causes misinterpretations and leads to ineffective prophylaxis and treatment. Purpose of the study was to provide an optimized technique for diagnostic ultrasonography of the calf´s lung and abdomen and to describe the normal and pathological findings. The topography and the ultrasonographic appearance of the lung and the abdominal organs was acquired with frozen sections and post mortem findings of newborn calves. By these results we obtained an optimized ultrasonographic diagnostic technique for the lung and abdomen of the bovine neonate. This diagnostic thoracic and abdominal ultrasonography was performed after obtaining clinical history and passing the physical examination of 11 calves without and 56 animals with different pulmonary lesions and 10 calves without and 113 neonates with signs of abdominal problems. The ultrasonographic findings were compared with the clinical results, radiological and pathological findings. By thoracic ultrasonography it was possible to identify pulmonary atelectasis and abscesses, aspirations of placental fluid, pulmonary oedemas and pneumonias. By the abdominal ultrasonography it was possible to detect the urinary bladder, kidneys, spleen, liver, part of the gastrointestinaltract and umbilical structures. But it was also useful for the detection of peritonitis, atresia coli, paresis of the omasum, renal cysts, hypoplasia of kidney and inflammations of the umbilical structures. In addition to the physical examination, thoracic ultrasonography led to correct diagnosis in 77 % of cases and abdominal ultrasonography in 97.6 % of cases. The ultrasonographic findings were regarded as sufficient to operate without delaying procedures or more invasive diagnostic techniques. Ultrasonography was also helpful to get a more realistic idea of the prognosis and for better monitoring during the clinical course.
