CT in Veterinary Medicine

Selecting the best CT for your veterinary practice: Conebeam or Spiral CT?

As CT utilization increases in veterinary medicine there has been an increase in the imaging options offered on the veterinary market. Cone beam CT has become more popular in the human dental market because it offers faster image acquisition and less exposure to radiation. Human imaging vendors have tapped into opportunities in the veterinary market as an influx of these machines have come available on the second hand market in recent years. Both traditional CT and cone beam CT have their pros and cons in veterinary medicine. Because of this we recommend you speak with a veterinary imaging specialist or veterinary radiologist prior to making any decisions regarding the purchase or lease of CT in Veterinary Practice.

Because these systems operate in very different ways, differences in the image quality and radiation emission are rather stark. Traditional CT, also known as fan beam CT, utilizes a “fan-like” x-ray beam and detectors which collect data from a single “slice” of the anatomy. This requires multiple beam rotations to collect enough data for the computer to recreate the 3D structure. Because traditional CT requires more rotations it also emits more radiation and takes more time to complete the scan.

Artifact

Traditional CT is also less affected by motion artifacts. This is because each slice is just 1-2 centimeters in thickness. A single motion will only affect that portion of the scan, which could be only one slice of a multi-slice study.

Diagnostic Quality

Cone beam CT on the other hand, emits a “cone beam” x-ray onto a more broad detector. And while this takes less time, and emits less radiation, because the x-rays are emitted via a broad “cone,” it produces more “scattered” radiation, which is also captured by the broad detector. The radiation scatter deviating information causes reduced image contrast, ultimately reducing the image quality and making CBCT more prone to artifact.

Some considerations to take into account when shopping for CT in Veterinary Hospitals:

Who will read your scans? Confirm with your radiologist or teleradiology service that they are comfortable reading CBCT for regions other than dental or ENT. Often, radiologists will include disclaimers in the resulting reports explaining that the scan is not definitive or non-conclusive.
Who will provide your machine with service? The systems sold on the veterinary market are often already obsolete on the human side. Some of these units may only have a few more years of parts production, which poses a significant problem if you need replacement parts. Confirm when the manufacturer will discontinue parts production as well as what service is available should the unit break.
Who will provide training on these systems? The equipment training for these systems is highly questionable. The reason for this is that they are rarely used in the human market for more than dental reasons and even on the veterinary side, time and research has not been dedicated to thorough development of the applications. Find out who is training your team and what their experience is. Always ask for references.
Will you be administering contrast? If so, keep in mind that the contrast dose required for ConeBeam CT is twice that of Spiral/Helical/Traditional CT. Contrast is hard on the kidneys and doubling the dose; even more so.

The “No Shielding” Argument for cone beam CT:

A common argument for the CBCT is there isn’t a need for shielding. But let’s unpack this a bit more. It does require less shielding because there is as much as 10 times less radiation emitted from CBCT. However, CBCT still has scatter radiation so SHOULD BE SHIELDED! At AnimalScan we always recommend the CT room should be shielded and tested to meet all local and state radiation compliance requirements.

CBCT systems certainly have their place in veterinary medicine. The question is whether it’s the best solution for your practice and patients. If the majority of your imaging will be dental imaging then cone beam CT is the perfect solution, offering both quick imaging and reduced radiation exposure. But if you are planning to use your CT for abdominal imaging or orthopedic imaging AnimalScan highly recommends sticking with traditional spiral CT for the highest quality imaging if your space and budget allow.

For more information regarding equipment options or CT in Veterinary Practice contact an AnimalScan Representative.

At AnimalScan we work with our own veterinary board certified radiologists and anesthesiologists to identify equipment that is ideal for imaging the variety of patients seen in veterinary medicine. A project manager will schedule an evaluation of your practice space, medical study needs, and budget to identify the best equipment options. Schedule an evaluation today.

Which CT is best for you?

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