Normal and pathologic structures of the urinary systems of the sheep and cattle

55 7. SUMMARY In this study, it was aimed to examine ultrasonographically the normal and pathologic structures of the urinary systems of the sheep and cattle of different ages, breeds, weights and sexes. The screening of the urinary system was carried out with transabdominal and transrectal methods utilizing 3.5-5 MHz convex and 5-7.5 MHz lineer probes. For transabdominal examination, the hairs of upper part of right flank including the last rib and lumbal regions were clipped. The regions were covered with gels, of which the prob was placed and then transabdominal examination was conducted. Transrectal examination was carried out using lumricated prob, which was either hold in palm or lodged on the rectal stick, passing through the rectum. The findings obtained from normal and pathologic structures during ultrasonographic examination are shown as follow: Normal renal capsule, cortex and medulla were observed respectively as hyperechogen, echogen and hypoechogen. The dimention of the ovine kidneys was found to be between 7.1-8.9 cm in length, 3.4-5.5 cm in width and 3.3-4.7 cm in depth. The kidneys cattle were between 8.0-10. 1 cm in width and 5. 1-7.0 cm in depth. In a survey, 109 out 800 sheep (approximately 12 %) and 136 out of 1000 cattle (approximately 13.6 %) were determined to possess urinary system disorders which was determined to cause the loss of the productivity of meat and milk in the farm animals. In these cases, renal cysts (13 %), nephrolithiasis (7 %), hydronephrosis (20 %), pyelonephritis (20 %), renal neoplasms (2 %), cystitis (20 %) and neoplasm of urinary bladder (2 %), rupture (11 %), dilatation (22 %) and uroliths (30 %) of the urinary bladder were encountered. Renal cysts were observed as having an anechogenic appearance with echo enforcement in its back side. In cases with nephrolithiasis, multiple compartments separated by echogenic boundaries and slightly more enlarged pelvis renalis than normal were determined.56 In cases with hydronephrosis, enlarged pelvis renalis and thinned cortex associated with anechogenic appearance of calix were found. In cases with pyelonephritis, reduction in the pelvis renalis diameter, thinness or disappearance of renal parenchyma boundary were determined. In cases with cystitis, it was determined that the wall of urinary bladder thinned and obtained hyperechogenic appearance and also within it freely moving mucosal particles were present. Urinary bladder tumors were found to possess mix echogenity. In urolithiasis cases, sand-like-particles at the base of the urinary bladder was determined. When the bladder was shook, these particles were observed to form snowing like pattern in the bladder. In case of ruptured urinary bladder, an anechogenic appearance due to fluid accumulation in the abdominal cavity was determined. As a result, the findings of the present study were found to conform with those of other studies carried out in this respect.