From:
williamsdvm@comcast.net
Date: 2002-12-27 01:46:43 UTC
Subject: RE: strange things on xray
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <18936972.1040953603647.JavaMail.root@scandium>
Lisa:
These are always cases in which you pretty much have to have a digitial image to make any type of educated guess. Radiographs are tricky enough when you are looking at it.
For example - you mention a "shadow" - does that mean something that is lighter or darker than normal. From your description of the shadow having the outline of an airway in it, I'm assuming that it is an area of decreased contrast, actually lighter than the tissue around it, and as such, would most likely represent an area of consolidated lung. The airway still has air going through it, so it is outlined darkly within this area. So I am assuming this is likely not a lymph node, because lymph nodes don't generally have airways going through them. However, you should be able to see the "air bronchogram" on both the lateral and dorsoventral views.
See how confusing it can get, and we haven't even looked at the radiograph yet?
Sorry I can't be more help here, but maybe I am....
Bruce Williams, DVM
Author wrote:
> Drs:
> I have a ferret, Buster who is 5 years old and was exhibiting fairly classic
> signs of cardiomyopathy - wheezing and chronic cough, along with some
> lethargy. We brought him to the vet and did a cbc (all normal limits) a
> heartworm test (ruleout - and was negative) and xrays.
> The xrays showed a normal heart but a shadow on the xray on one lung with an
> obvious airway.