DVM Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Diagnostic Imaging Interpretation Questions and Answers

Question 1

A 7-year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel with a known history of myxomatous mitral valve disease presents with acute tachypnea.
Thoracic radiographs are taken.
Which radiographic finding is most characteristic of cardiogenic pulmonary edema in this dog?

Accepted Answer

A perihilar to caudodorsal unstructured interstitial to alveolar pattern.

Answer

A patchy, unstructured interstitial pattern in the cranioventral lung lobes.

Answer

Multiple, well-defined soft tissue nodules distributed throughout all lung fields.

Answer

A diffuse bronchial pattern with prominent 'doughnuts' and 'tram lines'.

Question 2

A 2-year-old cat is evaluated for acute vomiting and anorexia. On abdominal radiographs, the small intestinal loops appear clustered in the mid-abdomen. Several gas bubbles within the intestines have eccentric, crescent, or triangular shapes. What is the most likely diagnosis?

Accepted Answer

Plication of the small intestines due to a linear foreign body.

Answer

Intussusception of the jejunum.

Answer

Diffuse inflammatory bowel disease.

Answer

Mechanical obstruction from a simple foreign body (e.g., a ball).

Question 3

During an abdominal ultrasound of a healthy dog, you identify a structure that appears to be liver parenchyma and a portion of the gallbladder located cranial to the highly echogenic, curvilinear diaphragm. This finding disappears when the transducer is angled differently. What does this represent?

Accepted Answer

Mirror image artifact.

Answer

A diaphragmatic hernia.

Answer

Consolidation of the right middle lung lobe.

Answer

Hepatic metastasis to the lung.

Question 4

A 12-year-old Quarter Horse is diagnosed with navicular syndrome based on clinical signs and a positive palmar digital nerve block. Which of the following is NOT a classic radiographic finding associated with this condition?

Accepted Answer

Widening of the distal interphalangeal (coffin) joint space.

Answer

Enlarged, lollipop-shaped synovial invaginations on the distal border of the navicular bone.

Answer

Sclerosis of the medullary cavity of the navicular bone.

Answer

Enthesophyte formation on the proximal border of the navicular bone.

Question 5

A ventrodorsal (VD) thoracic radiograph of a dog shows that the sternum is positioned to the right of the vertebral column. The left lung fields appear larger and more radiolucent than the right. What positioning error most likely occurred?

Accepted Answer

The patient's left side was elevated off the table.

Answer

The x-ray beam was angled obliquely from left to right.

Answer

The exposure was made during expiration.

Answer

The patient's right side was elevated off the table.

Question 6

A contrast-enhanced CT scan is performed on an older dog with an ultrasound-identified pancreatic mass. Which finding is most suggestive of a malignant process like pancreatic adenocarcinoma rather than focal pancreatitis?

Accepted Answer

A poorly-defined, hypoattenuating mass with evidence of portal vein invasion and enlarged regional lymph nodes.

Answer

A well-defined, hypoattenuating mass with strong peripheral rim enhancement.

Answer

Diffuse, mild enlargement of the pancreas with homogenous contrast enhancement.

Answer

Streaky, hyperattenuating opacities in the peripancreatic fat consistent with saponification.