Differences in normal nasal computed tomography findings in different dog breeds

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Radiology
• Comparative Anatomy
• Canine Medicine

Background:

• Computed tomography (CT) is standard for canine nasal disease diagnosis.
• CT struggles with subtle inflammatory changes lacking clear morphological alterations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare normal CT findings of nasal turbinate structure and mucosa across different dog breeds.
• To establish breed-specific CT criteria for diagnosing canine nasal inflammatory diseases.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective CT analysis of 77 healthy dogs from 5 breeds.
• Measured nasal air percentage (turbinate volume) and mucosal contrast enhancement (blood flow).
• Evaluated ventral and ethmoid turbinate regions, comparing between breeds and sections.

Main Results:

• Significant breed variations observed in nasal air percentage (ventral and ethmoid regions).
• Breed differences in mucosal contrast enhancement were significant only in the ethmoid region.
• Correlations between body weight, age, nose length, and air percentage varied by breed.

Conclusions:

• Established breed-specific reference values for normal canine nasal CT findings.
• Demonstrated that turbinate structure volume and mucosal enhancement differ significantly between breeds.
• Highlighted the importance of considering breed, measurement section, and patient factors in CT interpretation.