Imaging of reptiles: A comparison study of various radiographic techniques

Mammographic techniques similar to those used in humans, produced with or without a special mammography unit, produce images of higher resolution and greater detail than traditional radiographic techniques. Many medical conditions can be easily diagnosed with fewer exposures if mammography techniques are used instead of standard radiographic techniques. In this study, we compared four radiographic techniques, based on image quality, for evaluation of bone and soft tissue in reptiles. Radiographs were obtained using Bucky and table-top techniques with a matched routine radiography film-screen combination and using mammography unit and table-top films with a matched mammography film-screen system. All four techniques were used on three small reptiles, and results were evaluated by 16 radiologists and veterinarians. Films produced using the matched mammography film-screen combination had greater resolution and detail and were considered superior to standard Bucky and table-top radiographs in the evaluation of bone and soft tissues in reptiles.