TRANSRECTAL ULTRASONOGRAPHY OF THE LEFT ADRENAL GLAND IN HEALTHY HORSES

Little information is available on medical imaging of the adrenal glands in horses. We investigated the feasibility of transrectal ultrasonography to characterize the normal equine adrenal gland. Transrectal ultrasonography was performed in 25 healthy horses using a 7.5 MHz linear array probe at a d...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Veterinary radiology & ultrasound 2010-09, Vol.51 (5), p.540-544
Main Authors: DURIE, INGE, VAN LOON, GUNTHER, VERMEIRE, SIMON, DE CLERCQ, DOMINIQUE, VANSCHANDEVIJL, KATLEEN, DEPREZ, PIET
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adipose Tissue - diagnostic imaging
adrenal gland
adrenal glands
Adrenal Glands - diagnostic imaging
Animals
Female
Functional Laterality
horse
Horses
image analysis
Male
Orchiectomy
Rectum
Reference Values
transrectal ultrasonography
ultrasonography
Ultrasonography - methods
Ultrasonography - veterinary
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Summary:Little information is available on medical imaging of the adrenal glands in horses. We investigated the feasibility of transrectal ultrasonography to characterize the normal equine adrenal gland. Transrectal ultrasonography was performed in 25 healthy horses using a 7.5 MHz linear array probe at a displayed depth of 8 cm. Transrectal ultrasonography of the right adrenal gland was not feasible. For the left adrenal gland, the left kidney, the abdominal aorta, the left renal artery, the left renal vein, and the cranial mesenteric artery were used as landmarks. The size of the left adrenal gland was variable, but it generally appeared as a long, flat structure with a hyperechoic medulla surrounded by a hypoechoic cortex. The most cranial part of the gland could not be delineated appropriately in 11 horses (44%). The mean (±SD) thickness of the gland and medulla was 0.66±0.15 cm (n=25) and 0.28±0.09 cm (n=25) near the caudal pole, 0.87±0.25 cm (n=14) and 0.40±0.18 cm (n=12) near the cranial pole, and 0.89±0.18 cm (n=25) and 0.36±0.13 cm (n=25) in the middle of the gland, respectively. The mean (±SD) length of the entire adrenal gland and of the medulla was 6.22±0.77 cm (n=14) and 5.45±0.71 cm (n=6), respectively. Transrectal ultrasonography allowed adequate visualization of the left adrenal gland in horses.
ISSN:1058-8183
1740-8261
DOI:10.1111/j.1740-8261.2010.01696.x