Thorax

摘要

Ultrasound examination has become a valuable diagnostic procedure for assessment of thoracic disease in small animals. Thoracic sonography is limited by the barriers to ultrasonic transmission caused by aerated lune, air within the pleural cavity, and the bony thorax. Its usefulness is potentiated when used in conjunction with thoracic radiography and in the presence of pleural fluid, which serves as an acoustic window to allow imaging of otherwise sonographically obscured structures. The presence of pleural fluid radiographically often masks concurrent lesions such as mediastmal, pleural, or pulmonary masses. Ultrasound may be used to detect and characterize pleural fluid pleural, pulmonary and mediastinal disease, and assess the integrity of thediaphragm. Ultrasound is invaluable in differentiating cardiac from non-cardiac disease and is routinely used to aid needle placement durinc thoracocentesis and to safely procure biopsy samples.