Veterinary CT Course

Lesson 1 • Image Reconstruction Fundamentals

Introduces filtered back-projection and iterative reconstruction algorithms. Links reconstruction choice to image noise, resolution, and diagnostic quality.

Lesson 2 • X-Ray Physics for CT Imaging

Covers photon interactions, attenuation, and Hounsfield units as the physical basis of CT. Connects radiation physics to image contrast and density interpretation.

Lesson 3 • Regulatory and Ethical Framework

Reviews licensing requirements, equipment registration, and animal welfare obligations governing veterinary CT use. Ensures compliance awareness before clinical practice begins.

Lesson 4 • Radiation Safety in Veterinary CT

Addresses dose metrics, shielding requirements, and personnel protection protocols specific to veterinary facilities. Establishes safe practice habits from the outset.

Lesson 1 • Pre-Scan Patient Assessment

Covers physical examination, bloodwork interpretation, and ASA classification before CT anaesthesia. Identifies risk factors that modify protocol selection.

Lesson 2 • Anaesthetic Protocols for CT

Compares injectable and inhalant anaesthesia options suited to short, immobile CT acquisitions. Addresses species-specific drug choices and monitoring requirements.

Lesson 3 • Anaesthetic Monitoring During Scanning

Details remote monitoring of SpO2, ETCO2, ECG, and blood pressure during gantry rotation. Ensures patient safety while minimising personnel radiation exposure.

Lesson 4 • Patient Positioning and Immobilisation

Teaches sternal, dorsal, and lateral recumbency positioning with foam aids and vacuum bags. Correct positioning directly reduces motion artefact and repeat scans.

Lesson 1 • Core Acquisition Parameters

Explains kVp, mAs, rotation time, and pitch as the primary controls of image quality and dose. Builds parameter intuition through systematic comparison exercises.

Lesson 2 • Slice Thickness and Field of View

Addresses collimation, reconstruction slice thickness, and FOV selection for different body regions. Demonstrates how these choices affect spatial resolution and coverage.

Lesson 3 • Protocol Design by Body Region

Guides students through building region-specific protocols for head, thorax, abdomen, and musculoskeletal systems. Reinforces parameter selection with clinical rationale.

Lesson 4 • Dose Optimisation Strategies

Introduces automatic exposure control, tube current modulation, and low-dose techniques without sacrificing diagnostic adequacy. Applies ALARA principles to protocol refinement.

Lesson 1 • Image Quality Assessment and Artefacts

Identifies beam hardening, motion, ring, and metal artefacts and explains their origins and mitigation. Distinguishes true pathology from artefact-induced pseudo-lesions.

Lesson 2 • Multiplanar Reconstruction Techniques

Demonstrates axial, sagittal, dorsal, and oblique MPR generation from isotropic datasets. Explains how MPR improves lesion characterisation beyond axial-only review.

Lesson 3 • 3D Volume Rendering and MIP

Covers volume rendering, maximum intensity projection, and minimum intensity projection for vascular and bony structures. Links 3D outputs to surgical planning applications.

Lesson 4 • Window Settings for Tissue Differentiation

Applies bone, soft tissue, lung, and brain window presets to optimise visibility of specific tissue types. Reinforces Hounsfield unit knowledge from Chapter 1.

Lesson 1 • Equine and Exotic Species Anatomy

Adapts anatomical knowledge to horses, birds, reptiles, and small mammals with species-specific CT considerations. Prepares students for mixed-practice and zoo settings.

Lesson 2 • Musculoskeletal CT Anatomy

Details cortical and cancellous bone, joint spaces, and major muscle groups on CT. Supports accurate orthopaedic and oncologic case interpretation.

Lesson 3 • Canine and Feline Head Anatomy

Identifies brain regions, nasal passages, orbits, and dental structures in dogs and cats. Establishes the anatomical baseline for detecting pathological changes.

Lesson 4 • Thoracic CT Anatomy

Maps lung lobes, mediastinal structures, cardiac chambers, and great vessels across companion animal species. Provides the reference needed for thoracic pathology recognition.

Lesson 1 • Vascular and Lymphatic CT Findings

Identifies portosystemic shunts, vascular anomalies, and lymph node enlargement using contrast-enhanced CT. Integrates timing phases from Chapter 3 into diagnostic decisions.

Lesson 2 • Neurological CT Interpretation

Evaluates brain parenchyma, ventricular system, and skull for neoplasia, haemorrhage, and hydrocephalus. Introduces a systematic review checklist for intracranial CT.

Lesson 3 • Thoracic CT Interpretation

Analyses pulmonary patterns, pleural disease, mediastinal masses, and cardiac silhouette abnormalities. Connects CT findings to clinical respiratory presentations.

Lesson 4 • Musculoskeletal CT Interpretation

Detects fractures, osteolysis, periosteal reactions, and joint pathology using bone and soft tissue windows. Supports orthopaedic surgical planning decisions.

Lesson 1 • Complication Recognition and Management

Identifies pneumothorax, haemorrhage, and needle-tract seeding as procedural risks and outlines immediate management. Prepares students to respond safely to adverse events.

Lesson 2 • CT-Guided Drainage Procedures

Teaches percutaneous drainage of abscesses, cysts, and effusions under CT guidance. Covers catheter placement, drain management, and follow-up imaging.

Lesson 3 • Principles of CT-Guided Intervention

Explains target localisation, needle trajectory planning, and real-time fluoroscopic CT guidance. Establishes the conceptual framework before hands-on technique training.

Lesson 4 • CT-Guided Biopsy Techniques

Covers core needle and fine-needle aspiration biopsy of thoracic, abdominal, and musculoskeletal lesions. Addresses needle selection, angulation, and sample adequacy assessment.

Lesson 1 • Quality Assurance and Report Review

Implements peer review, discrepancy tracking, and continuous improvement processes for CT reporting. Builds a culture of accuracy and professional accountability.

Lesson 2 • Communicating Urgent and Critical Findings

Establishes protocols for immediate verbal notification of life-threatening CT findings to clinicians. Addresses documentation of critical communications in the medical record.

Lesson 3 • Differential Diagnosis Formulation

Teaches prioritised differential list construction based on signalment, history, and CT findings. Integrates pattern recognition from Chapter 6 into written diagnostic reasoning.

Lesson 4 • Structured Report Format

Introduces the indication, technique, findings, and conclusion report template used in veterinary radiology. Consistent structure improves completeness and reduces omission errors.