Page 413 - Atlas of Small Animal CT and MRI

Pleural Space 403

Figure 4.2.5 Normal Thoracic Duct Lymphangiogram (Canine) CT

(a) CT+C, 3D, VENT (b) CT+C, 3D, LAT (c) CT+C, TP

Adult dog of unknown breed or gender with documented chylothorax. Three‐dimensional CT renderings acquired following injection of
iodinated contrast medium directly into a mesenteric lymph node reveal a redundant thoracic duct (a,b: red coloration). Also contrast
enhancing is a plexus of smaller lymphatic vessels and cranial mediastinal lymph nodes (b: arrows). A conventional transverse CT image
acquired following lymph node injection shows two redundant branches of the lymphatic duct adjacent and dorsal to the aorta in the
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caudal thorax (c). Johnson EJ, et al. 2009. Reproduced with permission from Wiley.

Figure 4.2.6 Abnormal Thoracic Duct Lymphangiogram (Canine) CT

11y Australian Cattle Dog with thyroid carci-
noma and associated thrombi involving the
left jugular and brachiocephalic veins and
cranial vena cava. Images a–c are oriented
with the dog in dorsal recumbency. Moderate
dependent pleural effusion (a: asterisks) and
multiple small parallel branches of the caudal
thoracic duct are seen (a: arrow) following
ultrasound‐guided contrast medium injection
into a jejunal lymph node. More cranially,
extravasated contrast medium surrounds the
descending aorta (b: arrow), the brachioce-
phalic trunk, and the left subclavian artery
(c: arrows). A sagittally oriented maximum
(a) CT+C, TP (b) CT+C, TP intensity projection (MIP) image (d) reveals
widespread extralymphatic dispersal of con-
trast medium in the cranial mediastinum.
Thrombi were confirmed surgically as the
source of lymphatic duct obstruction.

(C) CT+C, TP (d) CT+C, MIP, SP

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