Normal ultrasonographic features of loggerhead (Caretta caretta) eyes

The Loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) is widely distributed in the Mediterranean Sea but, like other sea turtles, it is considered a threatened species. Improving anatomical knowledge on normal aspects of the species is important for correct diagnosis and proper therapy and, therefore, for improving the chances of a complete recovery and a fast reintroduction into the wild for a greater number of sea turtle bycatch and other mishaps. For this reason, 15 Loggerhead turtles, with clinically healthy eyes, were submitted to ocular ultrasonographic (US) examinations. The US exam was quick, non-invasive, and simple to perform and permitted researchers to assess all the ocular features. © 2020, Croatian Natural History Museum. All rights reserved

Kidney to aorta ultrasound measurements in Whippets

Kidney size has diagnostic and prognostic value. Since CT and MRI require general anesthesia and are expensive, radiography and ultrasonography (US) represent the preferred techniques in Veterinary practice. Radiographic kidney size is obtained by relating renal length to the L2 body length: a ratio of 2.5 – 3.5 is considered normal. Ultrasonography, other than the profiles, allows to assess internal structure and blood perfusion and can be performed on awake patient, without any risk. The main limit of US is that its accuracy is operator dependent. Therefore, any available quantitative information are useful to reduce subjective assessment. Although several authors tried to relate renal measures to bodyweight or body surface area, to date, the renal US size is still subjectively assessed. Recently, a method in which kidney length (KL) is related to the aortic luminal diameter (AoD) has been proposed (1). The main disadvantage of this method is the wide range of normal values (5.5-9.1) which determines a poor sensitivity and specificity. Therefore, in order to assess a narrower range of KL/AoD normal values and to increase its clinical importance, only one breed - the Whippet - was considered. Differences between right and left kidneys and influence of sex, weight and age were also investigated. Furthermore, longitudinal and transversal scans of AoD were compared. Thirty-six whippets (16 males, 20 females), ranging from 10 months to 14 years old, mean bodyweight 14.12±2.38 kg, clinically normal and without any US renal lesions were included. All US studies were performed on awake dog, in right and left lateral recumbency or in standing position. The US images were obtained using a 3.5-10 MHz microconvex probe and acquired in dorsal and transversal scans. The KL and width (KW) were measured on dorsal scan while depth (KD) on transversal one. The AoD was measured from the left side, both in transversal (AoDT) and longitudinal (AoDL) scans. Measurements were made at the maximal luminal diameter dilatation just caudal to the left renal artery origin. Mean, median, minimum, maximum, SD and 95% C.I. for the KL, KD, KW, AoDT, AoDL, KL/AoDT and KL/AoDL, for each side and for pooled data were calculated. Paired t Student’s test was used to compare right and left side. Mann-Whitney test was used to compare the sexes. Pearson correlation and Spearman's rank correlation were used to correlate bodyweight and age, respectively. BlandAltman plot was used to compare AoDL and AoDT. P was set at <0,05. The 95% C.I. of KL/AoD was narrower than that reported (6.3-7 instead of 5.5-9.1) and showed no differences between sides and sexes. Side did not affect kidney size while males had larger kidneys than females. Kidney size was positively correlated to the bodyweight. In spite of no significant differences and a strong correlation between AoDL and AoDT, the KL/AoDL was significantly higher than KL/AoT and the Bland-Altman plot showed a greater bias for the AoDT. In conclusion, in Whippets, a KL/AoD lower than 6.3 means reduced renal size, while greater than 7, increased renal size. The KL/AoD showed no differences in the two sides and, moreover, although a marked sexual dimorphism, no differences between the two sexes

Joint laxity in canine hip dysplasia assessed using the hip flexed not distracted ventrodorsal view

Objectives: The ventrodorsal hip extended standard view is conventionally used for radiographic screening of canine hip dysplasia. However, because the ventrodorsal hip extended standard view minimises hip joint laxity, several alternative views have been proposed. Our aim was to evaluate a new ventrodorsal hip flexed and not distracted view to assess joint laxity, by comparing it with the ventrodorsal hip extended standard and ventrodorsal hip flexed and distracted views. Materials and Methods: Between April 2013 and March 2017, all dogs referred to the University of Naples “Federico II” for the diagnosis of canine hip dysplasia were studied using the ventrodorsal hip extended standard, ventrodorsal hip flexed and not distracted and ventrodorsal hip flexed and distracted views. The Norberg angle and the laxity index were measured for each view. Results: Overall, 102 dogs, 67 males and 35 females, mean age 15 months, were included. The mean (±standard deviation) Norberg angles were 99.77° (±10.42°), 89.29° (±14.32°) and 91.80° (±13.50°) for the ventrodorsal hip extended standard, ventrodorsal hip flexed and not distracted and ventrodorsal hip flexed and distracted views, respectively. The mean (± standard deviation) laxity indices were 0.19 (± 0.14), 0.39 (± 0.25) and 0.36 (± 0.21), respectively. The ventrodorsal hip flexed and distracted and ventrodorsal hip flexed and not distracted views had lower Norberg angle and higher laxity index values compared with the ventrodorsal hip extended standard view. The ventrodorsal hip flexed and distracted and ventrodorsal hip extended standard views are in strong agreement for the measurement of both Norberg angle and laxity index, as confirmed by Bland-Altman analysis and the intraclass correlation coefficient. Clinical Significance: The ventrodorsal hip flexed and distracted and ventrodorsal hip flexed and not distracted views obtained with the hip in a neutral position reveal joint laxity better than the ventrodorsal hip extended standard view. Unlike the ventrodorsal hip flexed and distracted view, the ventrodorsal hip flexed and not distracted view does not require human operators or special devices for positioning the dog. The wide age range of the dogs enrolled might have influenced the laxity index measurements, since capsular fibrosis in older dogs reduces laxity

Polyostotic Chondroblastic Osteosarcoma in a Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)

We report a case of polyostotic chondroblastic osteosarcoma in a kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) admitted to the Wildlife Rehabilitation and Rescue Center (Naples, Italy). A consolidated fracture of the left tibiotarsus bone and a deviation of the limb were evident. After radiographic, cytologic, and histopathologic examinations, a diagnosis of polyostotic chondroblastic osteosarcoma was made. To our knowledge, this is the first report on polyostotic chondroblastic osteosarcoma in a kestrel

Tenth annual meeting of the Italian Network for Tumor Biotherapy (NIBIT), SIENA, Italy, November 5-7, 2012

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Unruptured Aneurysms Italian Study (UAIS) background and method

Treatment of unruptured cerebral aneurysms still represents an unsettled question in neurosurgical and neuroradiological communities. Although nowadays the indication for treatment have become relatively clear, indeed uncertainity remains for what concerns the proper treatment modality (surgical or endovascular) in terms of both the risk and the mid and long-term efficacy of the two procedures. The "Unruptured Aneurysms Italian Study" is a cooperative prospective study which aims to delineate the "State of the Art" in a nation based population. It has been designed: 1) to depict the nationwide modality of treatment of Unruptured Aneurysms, 2) to assess in the most objective way the overall treatment-related mortality and morbidity as well as the surgical and endovascular risk in the respective patient populations (it is not a surgical versus endovascular study) and 3) to asses the efficacy of the different procedures in the mid and long term periods. The study started on June 2003 and to June 2006, 637 patients have been enrolled. The study will end when the 1000th patient is enrolled