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Today's VeTerinary PracTice | January/February 2016 | tvpjournal.com imaging essenTiaLs Peer reviewed 114 Ultrasound of the Spleen slide the transducer caudally and to the left to identify the spleen. initially evaluate the spleen in transverse section, even though the probe is still oriented along the long axis of the patient. in the dog, the spleen is a large structure that extends across the abdomen from the left side (head of the spleen) to the right side (tail of the spleen, Figure 8 , page 112 ). The feline spleen is a very small and thin structure (usually 5–7 mm thick) found in the left cranial and lateral abdomen in the near feld ( Figure 9, page 112). Ultrasound of the Left Kidney & Left Adrenal Gland From the level of the spleen, move the transducer with a medial and slightly caudal distance motion to identify the left kidney ( Figure 10, page 113) and evaluate the kidney in long and short axes. From the left kidney, angle the probe medially; the abdominal aorta is seen in long axis ( Figure 11, page 113). The celiac and cranial mesenteric arteries and the left renal artery form the cranial and caudal vascular delimiters, respectively, for the area where the left adrenal gland can be found ( Figure 12, page 113). Part 2 of this article will discuss identifcation of the right kidney and adrenal gland. Ultrasound of the Left Ovary The left ovary in an intact female is located caudal to the left kidney in the near feld (Figure 13). depending on stage of estrus, the ovary can be indistinguishable from the surrounding fat (anestrus) or can be seen as a hypoechoic structure with multiple anechoic cysts (estrus). Ultrasound of the Urinary Bladder move the transducer caudally to a central and caudal abdominal position. evaluate the urinary bladder Figure 14. Long-axis view of the urinary bladder in a dog (A). Short-axis image of the urinary bladder cranial to the trigone (B). A B Figure 13. The left ovary is seen as a hypoechoic structure relative to the surrounding fat. This image was obtained from a dog. The transducer has been placed just caudal to the left kidney. CLiFFOrD r. BErry Clifford R. Berry, DVM, Diplomate ACVR, is a professor of diagnostic imag - ing at University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine. His research inter - ests include cross-sectional imaging of the thorax, nuclear medicine, and bio - medical applications of imaging. He received his DVM from University of Florida and completed a radiology res - idency at University of California–Davis. DANiELLE MAUrAgiS Danielle Mauragis, AS, CVT, is a radiol- ogy technician at University of Flor- ida College of Veterinary Medicine, where she teaches diagnostic imag - ing. She coauthored the Handbook of Radiographic Positioning for Veterinary Technicians and received the Florida Veterinary Medical Association's 2011 Certifed Veterinary Technician of the Year award. D