Information for Veterinarians

Clinical indication for CT/MR imaging:

Body region	MRI	CT
Skull	Arteriovenous malformation and aneurysm Congenital anomalies (hydrocephalus) Traumatic injury with negative CT Infarct Inflammation Primer and metastatic tumours Sella and pituitary disease (central Cushing-disease) Vasculitis Epilepsy	Acute intracranial trauma Osseous anomalies of the craniocervical junction Skull fracture Skull-base tumours
Orbita	Cortical blindness or n.opticus disease N. opticus inflammation Retrobulbar tumour or mass Retinal bleeding or subretinal effusion Blindness (acute onset) Vascular anomalies	Orbital trauma with fracture
Head and neck	Nasal tumours Mass in the cervical region Otitis interna et media Oropharynx and nasopharynx Salivary glands Thyroid mass (with scintigraphy)	Osseous head and neck trauma Mass connected to teeth Otitis interna et media Skull-base tumours
Spine	Congenital anomalies Discospondylitis Intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) Myelitis Primary, secondary and metastatic tumours Paraspinal/vertebral tumours Post op. recurrence of IVDD Spinal stenosis Syringomyelia, hydromyelia	Vertebral fracture
Orthopedics	Avascular necrosis (Legg-Calve-Perthes disease) Joint effusion Lymphoma and multiple myeloma Meniscus, tendon injury Osteomyelitis and septic arthritis Primer bone tumours Soft tissue sarcomas	Complex fractures Prosthesis planning
Abdomen	Adrenal gland masses Liver masses Pancreas masses Renal masses Spleen masses Portosystemas shunt	Ectopic ureter Ectopic ureter
Chest		Primer or metastatic pulmonary carcinoma Pleural disorders Pneumothorax Pneumonia, abscess and empyema Metastasis screening
Pelvis	Anal sacculus adenocarcinoma Urinary bladder carcinoma Soft tissue sarcoma Primer bone tumour Prosztata carcinoma Uterus tumour	Trauma (complex fractures)
Cardiovascular system	Pericardial and cardial mass
Vascular structures	Intracranial arteriovenous malformation and aneurysm Thrombosis (aorta, v.cava, v. portae)	Lung embolisation

MR imaging makes it possible for us to obtain anatomical and functional information of diseased animals safely, quickly and without invasive interventions. It provides such detailed images of the brain and the spinal cord, that no other imaging method is capable of (“Gold Standard”).

When should I refer a patient to MR imaging?

The MR is a specific imaging modality for soft tissues, especially for the nervous system, joints, cardiovascular structures and abdominal organs.
It can be useful in the following situations:

• No diagnosis with other diagnostic modalities
• The owner is afraid of invasive methods
• The owner wants to have a detailed diagnosis in a difficult decision situation

Special fields:

• Epileptic disorders
• Vestibular syndrome
• Neck- or dorsal pain
• Paresis
• Ataxia
• Lameness
• Abnormal nasal discharge, nasal bleeding

How do I refer a patient for an MRI or CT?

You must contact one of our veterinarians to arrange a referral.

• Once a referral has been arranged, the owner may then schedule an appointment directly with us.
• The owner should bring the results of previous examinations, if available X-rays to the appointment
• The veterinarian who performed the examination will contact the referring veterinarian within 3 workdays and shortly summarize the results.

What happens to my patient after arrival to Medicopus Nonprofit Ltd in Kaposvár?

Our colleagues will be waiting for you at the scheduled appointment and will inform you about the examination.
A physical examination is performed prior to anaesthesia and an intravenous catheter is placed. The patient is anaesthetised, if necessary, following iv. premedication. Anaesthesia is maintained by inhalation narcotics. The patients are monitored continuously before, during and after the examination.
The written report is sent to the owner and the referring veterinarian, so the veterinarian can plan further therapy.

When and how will I receive the results?

The veterinarian who performed the examination will contact the referring veterinarian within 3 workdays and shortly summarize the results. The written report is sent to the clinic of the referring veterinarian within 3 workdays. The images are handed over to the owner following the examination.
We will not discuss further treatment options with the owners.
We will provide consultation regarding any questions related to the CT/MRI examinations.

How does the CT work?

During a computed tomography (CT) examination an X-ray tube rotates around the body and emits a narrow x-ray beam. Electronic sensors placed across the X-ray tube detect the position of the tube and the X-rays going through the body. The number of X-rays reaching the sensor will change as the tube moves and they travel through different tissues. A PC uses mathematical algorithms to evaluate data and determine the density value of the examined tissue. These density values are then displayed on a screen.
This means we obtain an image using density values from X-rays travelling through a slice of the body, this is called a “slice”. The table moves the animal a few millimetres during the examination until the required number of slices is reached for the given body region. The obtained images reveal more contrast than traditional X-rays, it can distinguish between regions of the brain or groups of muscles.
Images can be obtained by using contrast material also, which is useful in definitely diagnosing certain lesions. State-of-the-art “multi-slice” equipment can image 16 slices per rotation, each rotation lasting less than 1 sec. The X-ray tube in these devices rotates continuously (helical or spiral), meaning that the examination of the human abdomen or thorax can be performed while the patient holds his breath. Reconstruction time is also very short. However, veterinary patients need general anaesthesia for the examination because it requires the patient to be still.
It is also possible to create three-dimensional reconstructions, e.g. to recreate bones without the surrounding soft tissues.

Indications for CT

Structural malformations inside the body, tumours, abscesses, vascular disorders, chronic fractures, haematomas etc. (See the Table.)