Dogs with spontaneous pneumothorax: What is the value of computed tomography as compared to radiographs?

Abstract

Spontaneous pneumothorax in dogs is a pneumothorax occurring without a history of trauma. The most commonly described cause is a rupture of pulmonary blebs and/or bullae. In this retrospective study radiographs and CT-scans of 30 patients diagnosed with spontaneous pneumothorax were evaluated. The objective was to determine the added value of computed tomography as compared to radiographs in diagnosing the cause of spontaneous pneumothorax. Examination showed radiographs to be excellent for diagnosing pneumothorax, but CT-scan a better choice for detecting the cause for the spontaneous pneumothorax.