Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging, Regional Anatomy and Radiological Physics

The course aims to provide students theoretical and practical knowledge concerning normal anatomy and pathological changes of body regions and animal cavities of veterinary interest, through I, II and III level diagnostic imaging technique. In addition, the course has the purpose to provide notions about the theoretical physics principles of ultrasound and ionizing radiation in the biomedical sector and basic principles of radiation safety.

1. Knowledge and understanding skills: the students have to demonstrate knowledges concerning the superficial and deep regional organization of organs and apparatus, considering position, correlation, and species differences in physiological condition (topographic anatomy, ultrasound, endoscopy and radiology) and in pathological conditions (ultrasound, endoscopy, and radiology). The students must be able to discriminate the main ultrasonographic and radiological changes of the musculoskeletal, digestive, respiratory and urogenital systems of pets and non-conventional, exotics, and wildlife animals.
Concerning the equine species, the students have also to demonstrate knowledges about endoscopic techniques applied to the diagnosis of respiratory tract disease, including dynamic upper airway obstructions, and urinary tract obstructions, as well as the level I and the level II diagnostic knowledge in orthopedics' field.
Concerning farm animals, the student's ability to recognize and interpret the main radiographic alterations in the course of skeletal, thoracic, and abdominal pathology.
2. Knowledge and understanding applied: The student must demonstrate that he or she can apply the knowledge acquired during the frontal lessons directly to animals and/or bodies or isolated organs. Starting from these bases they will have to be able to identify the normality and the main alterations of ultrasound, endoscopic, and radiographic pictures obtained directly on the patient or from digital images in the archive, referring to clinical cases of particular interest and, at the same time, to formulate a differential diagnostic procedure. The student must also demonstrate that he or she can put into practice what he or she has learned in the physics module, about the technical aspects of individual diagnostics and the development of image acquisition protocols.
3. Autonomy of judgment: the student will have to demonstrate the ability to examine and discuss critically all the information, both during the frontal lessons and derived from the recommended texts, and to identify the most appropriate technique to solve a given diagnostic question in the safe condition for the operator.
4. Communication skills: The student must demonstrate the ability to communicate the skills acquired with appropriate and updated terminology, in line with that one used in other disciplines, both during lessons and practical lessons.