Thanks to the New Exceptional Quality Equipment MRT Imaging Is Now Available at Dr. L. Kriaučeliūnas Small Animal Clinic
This autumn at Dr. L. Kriaučeliūnas clinic of the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences (LSMU) - is extraordinarily joyful. After completion of calibration and adaptation work, one of the most modern and advanced open system magnetic resonance imaging and tomography device in the Baltic states began its service. The new equipment used for magnetic resonance imaging – is fully adapted for veterinary diagnostics; the patients of the small animal clinic have already benefited from its use.
According to Dr. Birutė Karvelienė, Head of the LSMU Veterinary Academy’s (VA) Dr. L. Kriaučeliūnas Small Animal Clinic, the demand for magnetic resonance tomography (MRT) in veterinary medicine is increasing daily.
Previously used and already more than familiar to the staff of the clinic visual diagnostic tools – X-ray, ultrasound, endoscopy scans – do not meet the demands; these scans are not always sufficient, for differentiating the diseases. MRT in world veterinary practice has been used for decades and has become almost the only most precise method of diagnosis.
The wealth of scientific information justifies, that the scan – is very much needed and is widely used for human, and veterinary medicine.
“We can rejoice, that the same MRT systems are successfully used by the most famous veterinary centres of Great Britain, the quality of this equipment is particularly valued by the specialists around the world.
We want to inform the whole veterinary doctors ‘community about the new open system MRT equipment’s potential, because it will be used for scanning not only the patients of Dr. L. Kriaučeliūnas Small Animal Clinic. It is expected to meet the demands of the whole veterinary community of the Baltics. MRT scanning will be conducted upon referral. This method of diagnostics will help numerous doctors to confirm a suspected diagnosis, help their patients faster and more precisely,” – noted Ass. Prof. Dr. B. Karvelienė.
MRT diagnostic potential – particularly extensive
MRT imaging can be conducted on all areas of animal body.
The first scans for the patients of the LSMU VA Dr. L. Kriaučeliūnas Small Animal Clinic were conducted for their nervous systems (head, spinal cord) and joints (shoulder, elbow, knee and hip joints). Upon receiving the MRT scan reports, having established the diagnosis, patients were prescribed treatment accordingly.
The extensive potential of the MRT equipment will allow to conduct scans on patients who have respiratory diseases, inspecting their head sinuses, nasopharynxes, chest organs. The work of the internal medicine doctors will become easier as well – the new equipment will be used for scanning the abdominal organ systems.
“Veterinary neurology without MRT imaging – is simply unimaginable,” – observed Marius Jankauskas, a Veterinary Doctor specialising in neurology field at LSMU VA Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. According to the specialist, previously the opportunities to test for a neurological disease qualitatively were particularly limited – say, Myelography examination would be used – very risky, not sufficiently specific or sensitive. Now, when conducting spinal cord MRT scanning, it is possible to differentiate not only the area where pathology can be found, but also to describe existing changes and diagnosis precisely.
“Often animals have intervertebral disc protrusion and extrusion disease, when surgical treatment is implemented – however similar clinical symptoms can be caused by fibrocartilaginous thromboembolism, in the instance of which – surgical intervention is not required. It is only possible to distinguish the two diseases with the help of MRT imaging, because even during computer tomography scan such disease differentiation level is unachievable.
Head area, brain scanning when diagnosing meningoencephalitis, brain tumours, hydrocephaly or when working with a patient that has epilepsy, helps in choosing the appropriate treatment, establishing prognostic disease report, cancellation of breeding selection due to congenital pathologies.” – the extensive potential of the new open system MRT device were described by M. Jankauskas.
Obvious advantages when comparing with other scans
Another step towards the more precise diagnosis of animal diseases – magnetic tomography scans in orthopaedics. The attitudes towards animals are changing really fast in society, often the pet – is a fully-fledged member of the family, therefore their owners are inclined to invest into complex, modern diagnostic tests, which are conducted on animals more and more often.
Frequently the animal is brought to the clinic as soon as clinical symptoms appear.
In such instances orthopaedic testing helps find the source of the disease, but is sensitive enough to establish a diagnosis, whereas an X-ray imaging does not aid in seeing specific changes of the disease – with joint and muscle tissue MRT, it is possible to diagnose muscle, tendon, ligament, meniscus, cartilage pathologies.
Head of the Surgery Department at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of LSMU VA, Dr. Dalia Juodžentė noted, that often animal’s hind leg anterior cruciate ligament tear causes the secondary tear of meniscus due to which arthrotomy revision is undertaken, even though arthrotomy is not essential for ligament restoration. Magnetic resonance imaging prior to surgery aids in evaluating the condition of the joint, in choosing more precise surgical treatment, surgery time is reduced, recovery and rehabilitation is quicker.
Chest MRT is sensitive to thymus pathologies, which are diagnosed, but not classified when ultrasound scanning, or X-ray imaging are done. Lung MRT scan is most often conducted when identifying metastasis, evaluating lung functions or other pathologies as well as helps in planning other diagnostic steps and surgical interventions. Abdominal area MRT is no exception, which is used for liver, gallbladder, intestinal and kidney pathologies.
The potential for the use of the new MRT equipment was discussed at the International Veterinary Neurology Seminar which took place on 10th September and was attended by 300 veterinary doctors. Prof. Vita Riškevičienė, Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, at the Veterinary Academy of LSMU, rejoiced that the new potential is available not just for the veterinary doctors, but also for students and residents of veterinary medicine.
The staff of the LSMU Veterinary Academy’s Dr. L. Kriaučeliūnas Small Animal Clinic, are expressing their gratitude to the Administration of LSMU for the opportunity to work with the new equipment and to use the most advanced methods, for believing in the competence of the team, their desire to improve their work and to better the quality of veterinary medicine studies.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Birutė Karvelienė,
Head of the LSMU Veterinary Academy’s (VA) Dr. L. Kriaučeliūnas Small Animal Clinic
