Ultrasound is a noninvasive tool veterinarians can use to diagnose myriad medical maladies, including those affecting either the lungs or the space around the lungs. Although practitioners perform thoracic ultrasound exams in referral settings routinely, they can also conduct these efficiently and effectively in an ambulatory setting, explained Virginia B. Reef, DVM, of the Department of Clinical Studies at the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center

During a presentation at the 2012 American Association of Equine Practitioners’ (AAEP) Convention, held Dec. 1-5 in Anaheim, Calif., Reef described the steps involved in conducting a complete ultrasound examination of the lungs and the ultrasonographic appearance of both normal structures and of abnormalities that can affect the equine chest.

“An ultrasound examination of the horse’s chest (thorax) can yield a great deal of information, such as the precise location of the diseased lung, the type of fluid in the chest cavity if it is present, whether the diaphragm separating the abdomen from the thorax is intact or not, and even the area between the two sides of the lung, which houses the heart and important lymph nodes,” said Reef