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Background: Bronchopneumonia (BP) in calves potentially causes systemic changes., Objectives: To describe metabolic, arterial blood gas, and acid-base disorders in calves with BP diagnosed by thoracic ultrasound (TUS), Wisconsin score (WISC), and combinations of WISC and TUS., Animals: Two hundred thirty-one dairy preweaned dairy calves from 13 dairy farms., Methods: Cross-sectional study. Each calf sequentially underwent arterial blood gas evaluation, WISC score, venous sampling, and TUS. Calves were grouped based on a single diagnostic method and combination of WISC and 2 TUS cutoffs (≥1 cm; ≥3 cm) as healthy, upper respiratory tract infection, subclinical BP, and clinical BP., Results: Oxygenation and acid-base variables were unaffected. Glucose concentration in TUS-affected calves was significantly lower (P < .001) than in healthy calves (median ≥TUS 1cm  = 5.2 mmol/L 25%-75% interquartile range [IQR] 4.5-6.1, 1cm  = 5.9 mmol/L IQR 5.5-6.6; ≥TUS 3cm  = 5.1 mmol/L IQR 4.4-6.2, 3cm  = 5.8 mmol/L IQR 5.3-6.4). Paraoxonase-1 was significantly lower (P < .001) in TUS-affected calves (≥TUS 1cm  = 64.1 U/mL IQR 40.8-78, 1cm  = 77.3 U/mL IQR 61.9-96.5; ≥TUS 3cm  = 59.2 U/mL IQR 37.7-72.4, 3cm  = 72.9 U/mL IQR 53.4-95.5). None of the variables highlighted clear distinctions in WISC-detected clinical and subclinical BP calves based on the combination of WISC and TUS., Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Clinical signs indicate minor systemic disorders compared to TUS. The abnormalities detected by ultrasonographic examination were moderate and did not deviate from normal reference ranges., (© 2024 The Authors. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.)

Background: The best test between thoracic ultrasonography (TUS) and thoracic radiography (TR) or the best combination of tests (series or parallel) to detect active infectious bronchopneumonia (BP) in hospitalized dairy calves remains unknown., Hypothesis/objectives: To estimate performances of TUS and TR to detect active BP in hospitalized dairy calves and to determine the best strategy for using these tests based on a panel diagnosis method (PDM). Performances of TUS and TR were hypothesized to be equivalent., Animals: Fifty hospitalized dairy calves (≥7 days old; ≤100 kg; standing; pCO 2  ≥ 53 mm Hg; any reason of presentation)., Methods: Each calf prospectively and sequentially underwent physical examination, thoracic auscultation, blood analyses, and TUS and TR. Three blinded experts determined whether active BP was present/absent based on PDM. Krippendorff's alpha measured interexpert agreement. The sensitivities (Se) and specificities (Sp) of TUS and TR alone and in series or parallel were compared (McNemar's test; P < .05)., Results: Interexpert agreement was moderate at 0.58 (95%CI: 0.42; 0.73). The Se and Sp of TUS were 0.84 (95%CI: 0.60; 0.97) and 0.74 (95%CI: 0.57; 0.86), respectively. The Se and Sp of TR were 0.89 (95%CI: 0.67; 0.99) and 0.58 (95%CI: 0.39; 0.75), respectively. No significant difference was found in the Se and Sp of TUS and TR when analyzed alone, in series or in parallel., Conclusion: Thoracic ultrasonography or TR alone equally detected active BP in hospitalized dairy calves. Series or parallel analysis provided no additional benefit. Its ease of use and widespread accessibility support using TUS as a first-line test to detect active BP in hospitalized dairy calves., (© 2021 The Authors. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.)

Introduction: This paper reviews the technique used for thoracic -ultrasonography of the bovine lower respiratory tract and the ultrasonographic findings in calves with -bronchopneumonia. Studies that compare the results of auscultation with those of ultrasonography and postmortem examination are included as are studies that examine the relationship between ultrasonographic findings and bacterial lung infection and prognosis. Lesions associated with bronchopneumonia, pleuropneumonia, pneumothorax and lung abscesses are -easily imaged ultrasonographically and characterised in calves.

Background: Severity of lung lesions quantified by thoracic ultrasonography (TUS) at time of bronchopneumonia (BP) diagnosis predicted death among steers not treated for this condition. Further research is needed to confirm that lung lesions detected by TUS can be associated with negative outcomes in cattle with BP that subsequently were treated., Objective: To quantify the effects on relapse rate and average daily gain (ADG) of lung lesions detected by TUS at first BP diagnosis in feedlot cattle., Animals: Prospective cohort of mixed beef-breed steers (n = 93; 243 ± 36 kg) and heifers (n = 51; 227 ± 42 kg) with BP at 4 feedlots., Methods: Thoracic ultrasonography was performed by the same clinician and 16-second TUS videos were evaluated offline for maximal depth and area of lung consolidation, maximum number of comet tails, and maximal depth of pleural fluid. Individual ADG was calculated between 1 and 120 days after arrival. Effects of lesions on relapse rate and ADG were investigated using mixed regression models., Results: Maximal depth of lung consolidation was associated with a higher risk of relapse (odds ratio [OR], 1.337/cm; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.042-1.714) and lower ADG (- 34 g/cm; -64 to -4). Maximal area of lung consolidation also was associated with a higher relapse risk (OR, 1.052/cm 2 ; 1.009-1.097) but not with ADG. Comet tails and pleural fluid were not associated with risk of relapse or ADG., Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Quantifying maximal depth and area of lung consolidation by TUS at first BP diagnosis can provide useful prognostic information in feedlot cattle., (© 2019 The Authors. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.)

Introduction: The goal of this study was to analyse the frequency of ultrasonographic findings in 129 calves with bronchopneumonia and to determine how often multiple abnormalities occur in individual calves. The frequency of abnormal ultrasonographic findings ranged from 4 to 88%. Comet-tail artifacts were the most common finding (88%) followed in decreasing order by scattered echogenic foci (69%), air bronchograms (44%), superficial alveolograms (29%), pleural effusion (26%), hepatisation (23%), pleural lesions (18%), fluid bronchograms (14%), lung abscesses (6%) and fibrin deposits or fibrin strands (4%). Thoracic ultrasonography yielded a mean of 3.3 ± 1.55 abnormal findings (range, 1-6) per calf. Ultrasonography of the lungs in calves with bronchopneumonia is a useful adjunct to clinical examination and allows the determination of the type and severity of lesions.

Background: Thoracic ultrasonography (TUS) can be used to assess the extent and severity of lung lesions associated with bronchopneumonia (BP) in feedlot cattle., Hypothesis/objectives: To assess inter-rater agreement and reliability of TUS findings in feedlot cattle, with or without naturally occurring BP., Animals: Feedlot steers with (n = 210) or without (n = 107) clinical signs of BP that were assessed by TUS in a previous case-control study., Methods: A random sample of 50 TUS videos (16-s duration) were scored by 6 raters with various levels of TUS expertise. Lung consolidation, comet tail artifacts, pleural irregularity and effusion were scored. Inter-rater agreement was assessed using raw percentage of agreement (Pa), Cohen's and Fleiss' Kappa (κ), and Gwet agreement coefficient (AC1). Intra-class correlation (ICC) was determined for variables with continuous measurements (mixed factorial design)., Results: Median (interquartile range [IQR]) Pa were 0.84 (0.80-0.89), 0.82 (0.80-0.87), 0.62 (0.53-0.67), and 0.82 (0.75-0.86) for presence of lung consolidation, comet tails, pleural irregularity, and pleural effusion, respectively. For the same lesions, Fleiss κ (95% confidence intervals [CI]) were 0.67 (0.49-0.86), 0.56 (0.33-0.80), 0.20 (-0.05 to 0.44), and 0.36 (0.10-0.61), respectively. AC1 were 0.68 (0.51-0.86), 0.73 (0.58-0.89), 0.21 (-0.01 to 0.44), and 0.71 (0.51-0.92), respectively. Moderate reliability was found among raters for all quantitative variables (ICC ranged from 0.52 to 0.70)., Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Inter-rater agreement was good for presence of lung consolidation, comet tails and pleural effusion (based on Pa and AC1) but was slight to poor for pleural irregularity., (© 2018 The Authors. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.)

This study was performed to evaluate the cross section of the thymus in 46 clinically healthy Holstein calves and heifers from birth to 100 weeks of age and 8 age-matched affected animals with chronic bronchopneumonia by ultrasonography. The cross sectional area of the thymus increased in healthy calves and heifers from birth to 31 weeks of age, peaked around 35 weeks of age, and then decreased until 100 weeks after birth. A positive correlation (r = 0.74, P < 0.05) was found between the area in cross section and the weight of the whole thymus in calves and heifers with chronic bronchopneumonia. The cross- sectional areas of the thymus were significantly (P < 0.05) lowered in animals with chronic bronchopneumonia. The cross sections of thymus in clinically healthy calves at 2 weeks of age and heifers at 34 weeks and 87 weeks of age were hypoechoic, moderately hyperechoic and hyperechoic, respectively. The observation of thymus by ultrasonography seems to be an effective tool for estimating the size of the thymus objectively in Holstein calves and heifers from birth to 100 weeks of age. The results of this study prove the approach to be useful and applicable to monitor the growth of thymus in Holstein calves and heifers and their association with chronic pneumonia.

The aim of the study was to evaluate radiology as a technique to visualize pulmonary lesions in young calves, e.g. as a selection criterion for research animals in order to eliminate animals with lung lesions prior to experimental studies of pneumonia. Five calves with acute clinical signs of pneumonia were included in a direct comparative study of radiological and post mortem findings. Also, a number of animals with no signs of pneumonia were included as controls. The study revealed good agreement between the radiological and post mortem findings. Thus, in conclusion, radiology should be considered as a useful objective tool to predict the presence of pulmonary lesions in young calves.

The aim of this study was to assess the value of ultrasonography as an imaging technique for the assessment of respiratory diseases in calves. Postmortem findings were used as a 'gold standard'. Eighteen calves aged up to five months which suffered from pneumonia or bronchopneumonia were used. Ultrasonographic and postmortem findings were recorded in eight segments of the lungs of each animal and compared. Ultrasonography of health pulmonary tissue yielded only the pleural reflective band and repetitive artefacts. Pulmonary tissue with bronchopneumonia was detected as a basic echogenic pattern containing hyperechogenic zones. The sensitivity and specificity of the technique for the detection of bronchopneumonia were calculated to be 0.85 and 0.98, respectively.

Various thoracic disorders were radiographically diagnosed in 362 cattle and buffaloes, which accounted for 18.7% of total cases involving these 2 species. Of these 362 cases, diaphragmatic hernia accounted for about 42%, tuberculosis 18% and bronchopneumonia 15%. Other disorders included metastatic neoplasia, pericarditis with or without foreign-body involvement, hydrothorax and foreign bodies.