Radiographic evaluation of the thoracic surgical diseases in cats

Thoracic radiography provides valuable information in identifying changes that may occur in the thorax, which contains critical structures of both the respiratory and circulatory systems. Significant pathologies can occur in the thoracic region of many cats presented due to various traumas. Radiographic imaging of patients who have been stabilized and clinically examined stands out as the fastest method available for diagnosis and planning subsequent treatment. The material for this study consisted of 24 cats diagnosed with surgical thoracic diseases through clinical and radiographic examinations. These cats were presented to the Surgery Department of Balıkesir University Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and a private clinic between June 1, 2024, and December 1, 2024. In these 24 cases, the following pathologies were identified: 8 cases of diaphragmatic hernia, 7 cases of pneumothorax, 4 cases of pleural effusion, 2 cases of lung tumors, 1 case of tracheal rupture, 1 case of megaesophagus, and 1 case of sternum fracture. In the majority of the patients, radiological examination was found to be sufficient for identifying the pathology in the thorax. The radiological evaluation of the thorax was performed considering the presence of multiple radiological findings specific to the observed surgical condition. It was observed that, in cases such as diaphragmatic hernia and megaesophagus, the use of contrast radiography in addition to direct radiography significantly contributed to confirming the diagnosis. It was emphasized that in cases with suspected pulmonary neoplasms, advanced diagnostic imaging techniques such as computed tomography (CT) should be used when multiple diseases are involved in the differential diagnosis, and additional diagnostic methods are necessary to determine the underlying cause in conditions such as pneumothorax and pleural effusion. In conclusion, radiological imaging has been found to be the fastest and most reliable diagnostic method for identifying thoracic surgical diseases in patients presenting with severe dyspnea. Key Words: cat, thorax, radiograph, surgical diseases