2-year-old spayed female Domestic Short Hair
This cat was diagnosed with a uroabdomen and was taken to surgery. No rents in the urinary system were found. The cat is severely azotemic.
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Major findings
- Reduced serosal detail
- Pleural effusion
- Wispy soft tissue in the subcutaneous tissues
- Wispy soft tissue in the retroperitoneal space
- Inadequate bladder distension
- Normal vesicoureteral reflux
Minor findings
- Questionable to mild cardiomegaly
- Corrugated colon
- Uroabdomen is related to a leak in the urinary system
- Bladder is inadequately distended to assess for a tear and more contrast should be given
- EU and urethrogram could be considered to evaluated the remainder of the urinary tract
- Pleural fluid and subcutaneous fluid may be related to vasculitis and fluid overload
- Retroperitoneal fluid may be related to vasculitis, fluid overload, or ureteral tear
- Ask for additional radiographs with the bladder more distended
- Possible evaluation of the heart (echo)
- An additional lateral was provided if the candidate clearly indicated they wanted to try to distend the bladder further
- The bladder is still inadequately distended with irregular margins and questionable extravasation
- Images were not provided if the candidate assumed the bladder was turgid and did not specifically request to proceed with the study
- A final set of radiographs (lateral and VD) were provided if the candidate requested to continue to distend the bladder
- Candidates often recognized that the bladder was inadequately distended but many candidates assumed that this was due to lack of distensability of the urinary bladder rather than a technical error and diagnosed the bladder as severely thickened.
- Many candidates also failed to put all the signs together in relation to fluid overload/vasculitis and only integrated the findings in the context of multiple trauma.