Small Animal Radiology and Ultrasound: A Diagnostic Atlas and Text

Chapter Two The Thorax 41
Fig. 2-12 An 11-year-old female German Shepherd dog with a 2-
month history of unilateral epistaxis. The thorax is normal. A, On
the ventrodorsal radiograph fat density can be seen in the cranial
mediastinum (arrows) and also outlines the caudal mediastinum
(arrows). B, The density ventral to the cardiac silhouette on the lateral
radiograph represents fat in the ventral mediastinum. There is
an indentation in the cranial ventral margin of the cardiac silhouette
at the site of the interventricular groove (open arrow). Pulmonary
structures are identified easily with calcification present within some
bronchial walls. This is most obvious on the lateral radiograph over
the cardiac silhouette. The size and shape of the cardiac silhouette are
normal for a dog with intermediate thoracic conformation.
Diagnosis: Normal thorax.
A
B
P L E U R A L S PAC E
The pleural space is a potential space between the visceral and parietal pleura and between
the visceral pleura of adjacent lung lobes. In normal animals, a small amount of serous
fluid is present within this space. However, because of the size of this space and the small
amount of fluid that it contains, it is not visible radiographically. Fluid or air accumulation