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Small Animal Diagnostic Ultrasonography

Course developers

Prior knowledge

Vete2015, Anatomy of the Domestic Animals III

Vete3026, Special Pathology and Forensic Veterinary Medicine II

Vete4024, Small Animal Surgery II

Vete4037, General Pathology II

Vete4099, Small Animal Internal Medicine II

Vete4101, Radiology II

Vete4111, Clinical and Laboratory Diagnostics II

Vete6023, Physiology II

Course abstract

As part of the small animal ultrasonography course, students acquire in-depth knowledge of ultrasonography imaging (physics of ultrasonography), equipment, settings, animal preparation for examination, normal organ structure and localization, common pathological changes in various organ systems, AFAST and TFAST techniques, as well as basic for ultrasonography guided procedures (cytology, biopsy).

Learning outcomes and their assessment

• Upon successful completion of the study course, students gain in-depth knowledge of ultrasonography image formation and hardware settings to obtain a quality image. Learns the normal structure and localization of organs. Knowledge will be assessed in the clinical case analysis.
• Upon successful completion of the study course, students can recognize and localize various organs, as well as describe their morphological structure in ultrasonographic images. Within the course, students acquire skills to describe pathological changes in various organ systems. Acquires basic skills for performing invasive procedures in ultrasonography control. Skills will be assessed in the clinical case analysis.
•Upon successful completion of the study course, students acquire knowledge and skills to recognize and describe pathological changes in various organ systems, as well as based on the results of the examination, make differential diagnoses, and draw up a plan for further manipulations. Competences will be assessed in the clinical case analysis.

Course Content(Calendar)

1. Basic principles of ultrasound imaging (lecture) 1h
2. Ultrasound machine and its settings (lecture) 1h
3. Terminology and artifacts (lecture) 2h
4. Room and animal preparation for ultrasonography, procedure, image archiving (lecture) 1h
5. Ultrasonography of abdominal organs (organ localization, quadrants) (lecture) 2h
6. Structure of abdominal organs (lecture) 2h
6. Abdominal ultrasonography (practical works) 8h
7. AFAST, TFAST (lecture) 2h
8. Analysis of clinical cases (practical works) 13h
9. Biopsy, cytology, centesis under ultrasonography control (lecture) 1h
10. Biopsy, cytology under ultrasonography control (practical works) 6h
11. Basic principles of Doppler (lecture) 1h

Requirements for awarding credit points

Lecture, seminar attendance 80%, study
report on the topic for a missed lecture and clinical case report for missed practical lessons.
If more than 20 % missed attendance and no
topics prepared, study course should be
repeated.
Clinical case analysis should be successfully passed.

Description of the organization and tasks of students’ independent work

The purpose of the clinical case analysis is to learn to interpret, diagnose and analyze an individual clinical case of ultrasonography.
At the beginning of the work, the student is given pictures of the clinical case, video materials, a short history. The student must recognize the organ taken in the received images and video materials, describe its compliance or non-compliance with the normal structure, be able to recognize artifacts. Considering the anamnesis data and the information obtained in the pictures, it is necessary to create a list of differential diagnoses, analyze their compliance with the specific case, make further recommendations for accurate diagnosis, draw up an action plan for further examination of the animal, treatment methods. The description of the clinical case must be prepared according to the description protocol developed by the Veterinary Clinic of the Latvia University of Agriculture. If significant discrepancies are found in the description, the student must correct it and resubmit it. After preparing the full description, it must be sent electronically to the responsible lecturer. The theoretical analysis of a clinical case must be methodically prepared according to the regulations developed by the LLU VMF Study Methodological Commission.

The theoretical part must include the following information:
1. Description of the disease, including the causes of the disease, pathogenesis, clinical signs, diagnosis.
2. Comparison and analysis of information available in the literature and clinical case.
3. Analysis of the clinical case treatment plan.

A written analysis of the clinical case must be submitted to the responsible lecturer within the specified time limit.

The evaluation of the clinical case analysis is based on the following criteria:
1. Clinical case analysis.
2. Compliant written clinical case analysis based on KEGA sample.
3. Timely submission of a clinical case analysis.

Criteria for Evaluating Learning Outcomes

To get the final grade of the study course “test
with mark” clinical case analysis must be evaluated with a successful grade (10-point system scale indicated in the LLU Study Regulations)

Compulsory reading

1.Penninck D., d’.Anjou M.A. Atlas of Small Animal Ultrasound. Second edition., Wiley Blackwell, 2015.
2.Focused ultrasound techniques for the small animal practitioner. Edited by G.R.Lisciandro. West Sussex: Wiley‐Blackwell, 2014. 360 p.
3. Mattoon J.S. Small Animal Diagnostic Ultrasound., Third edition., Canada: Elsevier, 2015. 667 p.

Further reading

Barr F., Gaschen L. BSAVA Manual of Canine and Feline Ultrasonography, 2011.

Periodicals and other sources

1. IVUSS (International Veterinary Ultrasound Society) Imaging Protocol for Standard Abdominal Ultrasound Exam
2. SonoPath. Melding Veterinary Ultrasound Diagnostics. Pieejams: https://Sonopath.com
3. Small Animal Ultrasonography. Pieejams: https://smallanimalultrasonography.com/

Notes

Optional course of the study program Veterinary medicine