Estudio ecográfico del estómago, duodeno proximal y descendente en el perro de raza Bulldog Francés

Abstract

Ultrasound exploration of the digestive tract is complex and must be included within the diagnostic protocol of patients with digestive symptoms as a complement to other imaging techniques such as radiology. These diagnostic imaging techniques, in an important number of cases, will be useful in diagnosing the main pathologies that affect the digestive tract in dogs. The abdominal ultrasound exam requires great expertise from the sonographer. The presence of alimentary contents and gas inside the digestive tract is a barrier that has delayed the use of this technique as a diagnostic tool of the digestive system. The ultrasound exploration of the stomach and proximal duodenum is more complex than that of other abdominal structures because of their anatomical characteristics and their cranial position in the abdomen. The correct preparation of the patient, the use of appropriate exploration protocols and the description of the echographic patterns and the physiological dimensions for different patients will be essential for a correct abdominal examination. The knowledge of the physics of sound, its interaction with different body structures and the recognition of ultrasound artifacts are fundamental for a correct examination of the abdomen and, particularly, the digestive tract. An appropriate knowledge of the anatomy of stomach and duodenum is essential to establish their correspondence with physiologic findings and their normal echographig patterns. The anatomic relationships with different structures and their vasculature will complete the echographic examination of the digestive tract. Some authors describe a general examination protocol for the study of the digestive tract. There are few publications that describe a detailed protocol for the study of stomach and proximal and descendent duodenum in the dog. The distinctive features of this region are rarely taken into account in most cases ...