[Tomography in veterinary medicine. Possibilities for the application of this x-ray technic demonstrated on the spinal column of a dog].

After a short introduction of theoretical principles of tomography, the advantages of this technique--especially the representation of the dog's spinal column--are discussed with five case histories. This technique allows to produce isolated pictures of special parts of the spinal column which may be superpositioned by other body parts like: atlantooccipitalregion (especially dens axis), caudal cervical spine, thoracical spine and lumbosacral region. Particularly the evaluation of the intervertebral spaces, the small vertebral joints and the contours and structures of the vertebrae is enhanced, which is important in tumorous and infectious processes, as well as in fractures and luxations of the vertebrae. Besides the spatial association of certain structures is possible if their localization with conventional x-ray methods and even with exposures in two planes is unsuccessful.