title: Pulmonary ultrasound findings in a bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus population.
abstract: Lung disease is common among wild and managed populations of bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus. The purpose of the study was to apply standardized techniques to the ultrasound evaluation of dolphin lungs, and to identify normal and abnormal sonographic findings associated with pleuropulmonary diseases. During a 5 yr period (2005 to 2010), 498 non-cardiac thoracic ultrasound exams were performed on bottlenose dolphins at the Navy Marine Mammal Program in San Diego, California, USA. Exams were conducted as part of routine physical exams, diagnostic workups, and disease monitoring. In the majority of routine exams, no abnormal pleural or pulmonary findings were detected with ultrasound. Abnormal findings were typically detected during non-routine exams to identify and track disease progression or resolution; therefore, abnormal results are overrepresented in the study. In order of decreasing prevalence, abnormal sonographic findings included evidence of alveolar-interstitial syndrome, pleural effusion, pulmonary masses, and pulmonary consolidation. Of these findings, alveolar-interstitial syndrome was generally nonspecific as it represented several possible disease states. Pairing ultrasound findings with clinical signs was critical to determine relevance. Pleural effusion, pulmonary masses, and pulmonary consolidation were relatively straightforward to diagnose and interpret. Further diagnostics were performed to obtain definitive diagnoses when appropriate, specifically ultrasound-guided thoracocentesis, fine needle aspirates, and lung biopsies, as well as radiographs and computed tomography (CT) exams. Occasionally, post mortem gross necropsy and histopathology data were available to provide confirmation of diagnoses. Thoracic ultrasound was determined to be a valuable diagnostic tool for detecting pleural and pulmonary diseases in dolphins.
authors: National Marine Mammal Foundation, San Diego, California 92106, USA. cynthia.smith@nmmf.org
authors: Cynthia R
authors: CR
authors: Smith
authors: Mauricio
authors: M
authors: Solano
authors: Betsy A
authors: BA
authors: Lutmerding
authors: Shawn P
authors: SP
authors: Johnson
authors: Jennifer M
authors: JM
authors: Meegan
authors: Carolina R
authors: CR
authors: Le-Bert
authors: Forrest
authors: F
authors: Emory-Gomez
authors: Stephen
authors: S
authors: Cassle
authors: Kevin
authors: K
authors: Carlin
authors: Eric D
authors: ED
authors: Jensen
mesh_terms: D000038:Abscess / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary; D000818:Animals; D050681:Bottle-Nosed Dolphin / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D010996:Pleural Effusion / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary; D013045:Species Specificity; D014463:Ultrasonography