AAVSB - American Association of Veterinary State Boards Diagnostic Imaging Interpretation Questions and Answers

Question 1

A 10-year-old Miniature Poodle presents with a chronic cough.
On thoracic radiographs, you observe generalized cardiomegaly, elevation of the trachea, a prominent bulge at the caudodorsal aspect of the cardiac silhouette on the lateral view, and a perihilar interstitial to alveolar lung pattern.
Which of the following is the most likely radiographic diagnosis?

Accepted Answer

Left-sided congestive heart failure

Answer

Right-sided congestive heart failure

Answer

Primary pulmonary neoplasia

Answer

Canine infectious respiratory disease

Question 2

When performing an abdominal ultrasound on a cat with a suspected linear foreign body, which of the following findings is most pathognomonic for this condition?

Accepted Answer

Plication or 'bunching' of the small intestines

Answer

Acoustic shadowing from a mineral-dense object

Answer

Generalized hyperechoic mesentery suggestive of peritonitis

Answer

Segmental thickening of the small intestinal wall

Question 3

In equine carpal radiography, what is the primary purpose of obtaining oblique views, such as dorsolateral-palmaromedial oblique (DLPMO) and dorsomedial-palmarolateral oblique (DMPLO)?

Accepted Answer

To project the complex articular surfaces tangentially, avoiding superimposition

Answer

To assess the soft tissue structures of the carpus

Answer

To visualize the proximal and distal check ligaments

Answer

To evaluate for signs of navicular disease in the front limbs

Question 4

Which of the following describes a 'mirror image' artifact in ultrasonography?

Accepted Answer

An artifactual duplication of a structure on the opposite side of a strong, specular reflector.

Answer

A form of acoustic shadowing seen deep to a highly attenuating structure like bone.

Answer

Multiple, equally spaced linear echoes resulting from the sound beam bouncing between two reflective surfaces.

Answer

Increased echogenicity deep to a fluid-filled structure, also known as acoustic enhancement.

Question 5

A veterinarian is evaluating imaging for a dog with acute, severe neck pain and tetraparesis. To best evaluate the spinal cord for compression from a suspected intervertebral disc extrusion, which imaging modality is considered the gold standard?

Accepted Answer

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

Answer

Computed Tomography (CT)

Answer

Myelography

Answer

Survey Radiography

Question 6

On a thoracic radiograph of a cat, you identify an enlarged, 'valentine-shaped' heart on the dorsoventral (DV) view. This finding is most suggestive of which condition?

Accepted Answer

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM)

Answer

Pericardial effusion

Answer

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM)

Answer

Right-to-left shunting patent ductus arteriosus