The Ins and Outs of Rabbit Diagnostic Imaging

The ins and outs of rabbit diagnostic imaging
Radiology is a common diagnostic procedure in any field of clinical veterinary practice, and exotic animal medicine is no exception. Alongside physical examination, haematology and biochemistry analysis, radiography and ultrasonography are useful diagnostic tools, often complementary and certainly the most commonly performed diagnostic imaging. The range of potential abnormalities that might be faced in clinical practice and detected by different imaging modalities is very broad. An array of other imaging techniques such as endoscopy, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are also available in veterinary medicine that may help in achieving a definitive diagnosis.

Radiography
X-ray are a type of ionizing electromagnetic radiation that travel through space at the speed of light. The high velocity electrons collide with a metal target (the anode), producing the X-rays. When x-rays strike certain inorganic materials, they cause a brief flash of light which is used to record the radiographic image on conventional screenfilm system. Three parameters influence the quality and quantity of x-rays produced: milliamperage (mA), exposure time (s), and kilovoltage peak (kVp) (1). Milliamperage (mA): indicates the number of electrons produced by the cathode. Increasing the mA will increase the number of electrons that collide with the target and therefore the quantity of x-ray produced. […]