Anatomical and Three-Dimensional Study of the Female Feline Abdominal and Pelvic Vascular System Using Dissections, Computed Tomography Angiography and Magnetic Resonance Angiography

Daniel Rojo Ríos; Gregorio Ramírez Zarzosa; Marta Soler Laguía; David Kilroy; Francisco Martínez Gomariz; Cayetano Sánchez Collado; Francisco Gil Cano; María I García García; María Dolores Ayala Florenciano; Alberto Arencibia Espinosa

doi:10.3390/vetsci10120704

Anatomical and Three-Dimensional Study of the Female Feline Abdominal and Pelvic Vascular System Using Dissections, Computed Tomography Angiography and Magnetic Resonance Angiography

Vet Sci. 2023 Dec 14;10(12):704. doi: 10.3390/vetsci10120704.

Affiliations

¹ Department of Anatomy and Comparative Pathological Anatomy, Veterinary Faculty, Campus de Espinardo, University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain.
² Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Veterinary Faculty, Campus de Espinardo, University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain.
³ Veterinary Science Centre, University College Dublin, Belfield, D04 V1W8 Dublin, Ireland.
⁴ Support Research Service SACE-ACTI, University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain.
⁵ Department of Morphology, Veterinary Faculty, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35413 Las Palmas, Spain.

Abstract

This study describes the anatomical characteristics of the abdominal and pelvic vascular system of two healthy mature female cats via three-dimensional contrast enhanced computed tomography angiography, non-contrast enhanced magnetic resonance angiography and three-dimensional printing. Volume-rendering computed tomography angiography images were acquired from the ventral aspect using RadiAnt, Amira and OsiriX MD Dicom three-dimensional formats, and three-dimensional printing was obtained and compared with the corresponding computed tomography angiography images. Non-contrast enhanced magnetic resonance angiography was made using the time-of-flight imaging in ventral, oblique and lateral views. In addition, three cadavers with colored latex injection were dissected to facilitate the identification of the vascular structures. Three-dimensional computed tomography angiography showed the main vascular structures, whereas with the time-of-flight blood appeared with a high signal intensity compared with associated abdominal and pelvic tissues. Three-dimensional computed tomography angiography images and time-of-flight sequences provided adequate anatomical details of the main arteries and veins that could be used for future feline anatomical and clinical vascular studies of the abdomen and pelvis.

Keywords: 3D printing; TOF; abdominal vascular imaging; anatomy; computed tomography angiography; feline; magnetic resonance angiography; pelvic vascular imaging; volume rendering.

Grants and funding

CTA and MRA acquisitions were financed by the Department of Morphology, Veterinary Faculty, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain, and the Department of Anatomy and Comparative Pathological Anatomy, Veterinary Faculty, Campus de Espinardo, University of Murcia, Spain. This research received no external funding to cover the publication cost.