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. 2021 Feb 24;11(3):587.
doi: 10.3390/ani11030587.

Radiographic Measurements of the Cardiac Silhouette and Comparison with Other Radiographic Landmarks in Wild Galahs (Eolophus roseicapilla)

Petra Schnitzer  1 , Shivananden Sawmy  1 , Lorenzo Crosta  1
Affiliations

Radiographic Measurements of the Cardiac Silhouette and Comparison with Other Radiographic Landmarks in Wild Galahs (Eolophus roseicapilla)

Petra Schnitzer et al. Animals (Basel). .

Abstract

Background: Part of the diagnostic workup for cardiac diseases is radiographic imaging. To determine an enlarged heart, species-specific reference values are necessary. Wild birds are rarely diagnosed with cardiac disease, and only a few studies have been done to investigate the cardiac silhouette in wild birds.

Methods: In this retrospective study, the cardiac silhouette of 36 wild galahs, presented at the hospital, was investigated in relation to other anatomic landmarks like the thoracic width, clavicula width, synsacrum width, distance between the third and fourth rib, distance of the clavicula, and length and height of the sternum using a digital DICOM viewer.

Results: The cardiac width was significant compared to the thoracic width with a minimum to maximum of 50 to 65%. The cardiac width compared with the coracoid width also showed significant results with a minimum to maximum range of 570 to 743%. A significant correlation was found between the weight and the cardiac width and length.

Conclusion: The cardiac silhouette in wild galahs is easily measured in both radiographic views, and the heart size can be compared to other anatomical landmarks.

Keywords: Eolophus roseicapilla; avian; cardiac silhouette; galah; heart size; parrot; radiographic imaging.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Ventrodorsal (VD) projection and measurements in a radiograph of a wild galah: (a) distance of the clavicle cranial to the shoulder joint (blue); (b) coracoid width immediately caudal to the shoulder joint (orange); (c) width of the heart at the widest point (light blue); (d) width of the thorax at the same height as the heart width (white); (e) distance between the third and fourth ribs parallel to the spine (yellow); (f) synsacrum at the widest point (black).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Laterolateral (LL) projection and measurements in a radiograph of a wild galah: (a) widest point of the heart (orange); (b) length of the heart at height of the aorta and pulmonary artery to the apex (light blue); (c) length of the sternum from the insertion of the coracoid to the caudal edge (white); (d) depth of the sternum, 90° from the junction of the coracoid to the sternum (red).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Scatterplot showing the relation between the cardiac width (mm) and the cranial coelom width (mm) in the VD radiographic projection (N = 36).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Scatterplot showing the relation between the cardiac silhouette width (mm) and the coracoid width (mm) in the VD radiographic projection (N = 36).
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