Transabdominal ultrasonographic appearance of the gastrointestinal viscera of healthy camels (Camelus dromedaries)

The purpose of this study was to describe the ultrasonographic picture of the gastrointestinal tract in healthy camels (Camelus dromedarius). For this purpose, 22 camels were examined. The rumen and its glandular sacs were filling most of the left side of the abdomen. The rumen wall was smooth and echogenic. The ventral part of the reticulum could be best imaged in 17 (77\%) camels from the left and right paramedian region just behind to the sternal pad. The reticulum in these animals had a thick wall (1.17 +/- 0.27 cm) that appeared as a half-moon-shaped structure with a biphasic contraction. The omasum was best viewed through the right 8th to 6th intercostal spaces in 18 (82\%) camels. In the remaining 4 (18\%), it was visualized through four consecutive intercostal spaces (right 9th to 6th). It had a wall thickness of 1.1 +/- 0.7 cm and a transverse diameter of 8.74 +/- 3.4 cm. The abomasum could be best visualized from the right 9th and 8th intercostal spaces in 14 (64\%) camels, while it was observed in the 9th intercostal space in 3(14\%) animals and in the 8th and 7th intercostal space in 5(22\%) camels. Small intestinal structures were best seen low in the right paralumbar fossa. It was thin-walled (0.43 +/- 0.14 cm) and had a diameter of 2.62 +/- 0.47 cm. The cecum was imaged chiefly in the caudal right flank. It was thin-walled (0.37 +/- 0.05 cm), had a diameter of 13.8 +/- 1.6 cm. The proximal loop of the large colon appeared as thick, echogenic, continuous and slightly curved lines. It was thin-walled (0.51 +/- 0.08 cm) and had a diameter of 3.5 +/- 0.8 cm. The spiral colon was confined in all camels to the caudal ventral half of the abdomen. It appeared as structures with thick echoic lateral walls with a number of echogenic arched lines next to each other. Free peritoneal fluid pockets were imaged in two locations in 19 (86\%) camels. Ultrasound-guided abdominocentesis was successful in 15 (68\%) of the examined camels. This study provides the ultrasonographic appearance of the normal gastrointestinal tract in healthy camels that could be used as a reference for the interpretation of suspected digestive abnormalities. (C) 2012 Published by Elsevier Ltd.