Department of Farm Animals, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Acta Vet Scand. 2013 Sep 16;55(1):68. doi: 10.1186/1751-0147-55-68.
Many of the ultrasonographic abdominal findings of adult cattle probably also apply to calves. However, significant changes associated with ruminal growth and transition from a milk to a roughage diet occur in young calves during the first few months, and it can be expected that ultrasonographic features of organs adjacent to the rumen such as spleen and liver also undergo significant changes. These have not been investigated to date and therefore the goal of this study was to describe ultrasonographic findings of the spleen, liver, gallbladder, caudal vena cava and portal vein in six healthy calves from birth to 104 days of age. Standing calves were examined ultrasonographically six times at three-week intervals starting on the first or second day of life using a 5.0-MHz transducer and techniques described previously.
The spleen was imaged on the left at the 5th to 12th intercostal spaces. The dorsal and ventral visible limits ran from cranioventral to caudodorsal because of superimposition of the lungs. The size of the spleen was largest at the 7th and 8th intercostal spaces and the maximum thickness was measured at the 9th to 12th intercostal spaces. The liver was seen in all calves on the right and could be imaged at the 5th to 12th intercostal spaces and the area caudal to the last rib. Similar to the spleen, the dorsal visible margin of the liver ran parallel to the ventral border of the lungs. The visible size of the liver was largest at the 8th to 11th intercostal spaces and the maximum thickness was measured at the 8th and 9th intercostal spaces. The parenchymal pattern consisted of numerous fine echoes homogeneously distributed over the entire organ. The gallbladder was most commonly seen at the 9th intercostal space and was circular, oval or pear-shaped on ultrasonograms. It extended beyond the ventral border of the liver depending on the amount of bile. The caudal vena cava was triangular in cross section but sometimes had a round or oval profile and was always seen in at least one intercostal space. The maximum circumference was measured at the 10th and 11th intercostal spaces. The portal vein was circular or oval in cross section and was characterised by stellate ramifications branching into the liver parenchyma. The portal vein could always be imaged at the 7th to 11th intercostal spaces and its mean diameter at the 9th to 11th intercostal spaces ranged from 1.2 cm to 1.8 cm.
The ultrasonographic findings of the spleen, liver, gallbladder, caudal vena cava and portal vein in six healthy Holstein-Friesian calves from birth to 104 days of age serve as reference values for the examination of these anatomical structures in diseased calves.
成人牛的许多腹部超声表现可能也适用于小牛。然而，在最初的几个月里，小牛的瘤胃生长和从牛奶到粗饲料饮食的过渡会导致与脾脏和肝脏等与瘤胃相邻的器官相关的显著变化。这些变化尚未得到研究，因此本研究的目的是描述 6 头健康小牛从出生到 104 天的脾脏、肝脏、胆囊、尾腔静脉和门静脉的超声表现。站立的小牛在生命的第一或第二天开始，每隔三周使用 5.0MHz 换能器进行 6 次超声检查，并采用先前描述的技术。
脾脏在第 5 到 12 肋间隙的左侧成像。由于肺部的重叠，背侧和腹侧可见边界从颅腹侧向尾背侧延伸。脾脏的大小在第 7 和第 8 肋间隙最大，最大厚度在第 9 到 12 肋间隙测量。所有小牛的肝脏都在右侧可见，并可在第 5 到 12 肋间隙和最后一根肋骨下方成像。与脾脏相似，肝脏的背侧可见边界与肺部的腹侧边界平行。肝脏的可见大小在第 8 到 11 肋间隙最大，最大厚度在第 8 和第 9 肋间隙测量。实质模式由均匀分布在整个器官上的许多细回声组成。胆囊最常见于第 9 肋间隙，在超声图像上呈圆形、椭圆形或梨形。它的延伸范围超出了肝脏的腹侧边界，具体取决于胆汁的量。尾腔静脉在横截面上呈三角形，但有时呈圆形或椭圆形，至少在一个肋间隙中可见。最大周长在第 10 和第 11 肋间隙测量。门静脉在横截面上呈圆形或椭圆形，特征为星状分支进入肝实质。门静脉始终可以在第 7 到 11 肋间隙成像，其在第 9 到 11 肋间隙的平均直径范围为 1.2 厘米至 1.8 厘米。
6 头健康荷斯坦-弗里森小牛从出生到 104 天的脾脏、肝脏、胆囊、尾腔静脉和门静脉的超声表现为患病小牛这些解剖结构检查提供了参考值。
