RVC Unveils New CT Scanner for Horses

The new scanner is wider than the standard size, which should allow most of a horse’s neck to be examined.
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The Royal Veterinary College, in Hertfordshire, England, has for some time offered standing computed tomography (CT) imaging for horses. But recently the college unveiled their newest addition to their imaging department: the U.K.’s first specialized equine CT scanner.

The new CT scanner is 10 centimeters (nearly 4 inches) wider than the standard 75-centimeter (nearly 30-inch) size, which has a significant impact on how much of a horse can be examined. Most of the neck will be able to fit into the new scanner, enabling veterinarians and students to enhance their diagnostic ability, improve their understanding of neck problems in the horse, and potentially aid them in developing new treatment methods.

Imaging is a key component of the diagnostic process in most patients at the RVC’s Equine Hospital, with more than 80% of cases undergoing at least one imaging procedure. Diagnostic imaging is even more crucial in animals than humans since animals cannot communicate exactly where they feel pain.

Over the last decade, diagnostic imaging has undergone considerable developments with more sophisticated methods such as CT and MRI becoming available for use in more horses, in addition to radiographs. Both CT and MRI produce virtual slices of structures that can be used to form a 3D picture, making it possible to identify very small but clinically significant lesions (such as tooth root abscesses) amongst very complex anatomy

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