Computed tomographic anatomy of the canine cervical vertebral venous system.
Computed tomographic (CT) venography of the cervical vertebral canal was performed in six, clinically normal, adult mixed-breed dogs from 14 to 23 kg. After dogs were euthanized and saline perfused, a gelatin and iothalamate mixture was injected into the right external jugular vein. Contiguous, 4-mm-thick CT images were obtained with dogs in sternal recumbency. Dogs were kept in the same position as for the CT scan and frozen to approximately -8 degrees C. All post-contrast CT images were analyzed using similar bone window and level settings. Additional multiplanar reformatted dorsal images were obtained in all dogs. The frozen cadavers were sectioned through the cervical region extending from the occiput to T1 at approximately 8-mm intervals. The frozen sections were then compared with the CT images. The CT appearance of the normal cervical vertebral venous system was described and illustrated. Components such as the internal vertebral venous plexus, interarcuate veins, intervertebral veins, and vertebral veins were clearly identified on the CT images.
Department of Biomedical Science, Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0442, USA.
Marcelo
M
Gómez
Larry
L
Freeman
Jeryl
J
Jones
Otto
O
Lanz
Pam
P
Arnold
D000818:Animals; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D004285:Dogs / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D007601:Jugular Veins / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D010690:Phlebography / Q000662:veterinary; D012016:Reference Values; D013115:Spinal Canal / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000662:veterinary