Introduction
Computed tomography (CT) is a valuable diagnostic modality for images of
the musculoskeletal system, particularly for osseous changes. Recently,
with technological developments, CT has been used to generate images of
adequate quality to evaluate soft tissues, especially with contrast
enhancement (CE) (Jones et al. , 2019, Pauwels et al .,
2021, Puchalski et al. , 2009, van Hamel et al ., 2014).
Sunagawa et al . reported that three-dimensional CT images
identified ruptures of the flexor tendon in the hand and wrist in human
adults (Sunagawa et al ., 2003). Likewise, equine CT and
contrast-enhanced CT (CECT) reportedly generate adequate images to
reveal lesions in the deep digital flexor tendon (DDFT) (Jones et
al. , 2019, van Hamel et al ., 2014, Vallance et
al., 2012), indicating that CT is an excellent modality to evaluate
bone and soft-tissue lesions.
Jeju horse is a native breed of Jeju island in Korea, with a mean height
and body weight are 123.72 cm and 267.00 kg, respectively (Oh et
al ., 2014, Kong et al ., 2011). Since being used for racing, the
number and value of Jeju horses have increased, resulting in an increase
in admissions to equine hospitals. However, research on diseases or
diagnostic modalities in these horses remains limited.
MRI is still considered a golden standard for evaluating the
musculoskeletal system. However, considering the prolonged anaesthesia
duration (Jone et al. , 2019) and facility limitation, CECT can be
an alternative diagnostic modality to MRI for assessing the equine
distal limbs (Jones et al. , 2019, Puchalski et al ., 2007,
Puchalski et al ., 2009, Puchalski 2012, van Hamel et al.,2014). To the best of our knowledge, no research has reported on the
evaluation of CE in horses with different scanning parameters,
concentrations, rates, and volumes of CM. In humans, low voltage and CM
concentration can generate adequate CE to evaluate images in previous
reports (Van Cauteren et al ., 2018). Several reports on CECT in
horses used different CM concentrations (Puchalski et al ., 2007,
Puchalski et al ., 2009, Puchalski et al. , 2017, Pauwelset al. , 2021, Vallance et al., 2012 a and
b, van Hamel et al., 2014). In those reports, CM concentration,
rate, and scanning parameters were 150−185 mg I/mL, 2−3 mL/s, and
120−140 kV, respectively. This report evaluated the CE of the DDFT and
arteries using different CM concentrations, rates, volumes, and scanning
parameters, providing practical information and the potential to use
different scanning parameters and CM concentrations.