Caudal aberrant turbinate is a relatively common turbinate bone anomaly in brachycephalic breeds with an undetermined etiology. This paper presents a 5-year-old Pug with a history of otitis media and interna, showing left ear discharge and respiratory distress. Radiography and advanced imaging, including computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), revealed bilateral otitis externa and media, an elongated and thickened soft palate, a narrowed nasopharynx, and caudal extension of bilateral turbinate structures into the nasopharynx. MRI also revealed left otitis interna. Twenty-six days later, the patient developed severe respiratory distress with radiographic signs of an increased caudodorsal lung opacity and gastric dilation, indicative of non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema from a chronic airway obstruction. Surgical treatment involved folded flap palatoplasty and left total ear canal ablation. Despite treatment, the dog expired due to the persistent respiratory distress. This case highlights that a caudal aberrant turbinate can contribute to airflow obstruction in brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS), particularly when compounded by other upper airway anomalies. CT imaging is valuable for identifying nasal structural abnormalities, including aberrant turbinates. Accordingly, an awareness of such anatomical variations is critical for the diagnosis and management of brachycephalic breeds presenting BOAS-related symptoms.

An 8-year-old intact male mixed-breed dog presented with a 6-day history of anorexia, lethargy, and vomiting. Antigen testing for Dirofilaria immitis was positive, and circulating microfilaria was detected on a peripheral blood smear. Thoracic radiography showed a normal cardiac silhouette with a generalized bronchial pattern. Abdominal ultrasonography revealed segmental thickening and a loss of layering of the small intestine with marked mesenteric lymphadenopathy. Echocardiography showed heartworms in the main pulmonary artery and an echogenic structure on the right atrial wall. Cardiac computed tomography (CT) angiography (CTA) identified the right atrial structure as a non-enhancing lesion, which was presumed to represent thrombus or granulomatous inflammation. Cardiac CTA confirmed the presence of multiple heartworms and pulmonary thromboembolism and incidentally identified an aneurysmal dilation of the left subclavian artery with a centrally located intimal flap, suggesting an arterial dissection. Abdominal CT revealed a thickened small intestine, fat stranding, and generalized lymphadenopathy. Fine-needle aspiration of a mesenteric lymph node and cytology of the peritoneal fluid confirmed lymphoma. This case presents a rare subclavian artery dissection in a dog with a concurrent heartworm infection and lymphoma and highlights the clinical value of a cardiac CTA protocol for precise visualization of the cardiac and vascular walls.

A 6-year-old intact male Yorkshire Terrier, weighing 5.8 kg, presented with progressive ataxia of the thoracic and pelvic limbs with a four-month duration. A physical examination revealed proprioceptive ataxia and neck pain, with neurological signs indicating a C1–5 lesion. The radiographs revealed mild narrowing of the disc spaces at C2–3, C4–5, and C5–6, suggesting cervical intervertebral disc disease (IVDD). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed bilateral symmetrical enlargement of the C2 nerve roots, causing spinal cord compression and distortion. The post-contrast T1-weighted images showed pronounced contrast enhancement, suggestive of hypertrophic ganglioneuritis. Mild disc protrusions at C4–5, C5–6, and C6–7 were also observed with minimal spinal compression, suggesting a lesser role in the clinical presentation. Considering the MRI findings, high-dose immunosuppressive prednisolone was administered under the tentative diagnosis of hypertrophic ganglioneuritis, leading to significant improvement in mobility and postural reactions. Follow-up MRI performed three months post-treatment revealed a significant decrease in the hypertrophy of the C2 nerve roots and alleviated spinal cord compression. This case underscores the essential role of MRI in differentiating hypertrophic ganglioneuritis from other spinal cord pathologies such as IVDD or spinal nerve tumors.

Metastasis to the mediastinum from axial skeletal osteosarcoma (OSA) is rare in dogs, and extraskeletal osteosarcoma originating from the mediastinum is an extremely rare malignant tumor in the veterinary literature. A 12-year-old Maltese dog was presented with intrathoracic masses on thoracic radiographs. Computed tomography revealed two distinct osteoblastic cranial mediastinal masses and a bone lesion involving the second thoracic vertebra. A biopsy was performed on one of the mediastinal masses. A histopathological examination confirmed the presence of an osteoid matrix with atypical mesenchymal proliferation, consistent with OSA. Accordingly, two potential origins for the mediastinal OSA were considered: vertebral OSA with mediastinal metastasis or primary mediastinal extraskeletal OSA with vertebral metastasis. This case represents a rare occurrence of primary or metastatic OSA in an unusual anatomical location. Radiography and computed tomography examinations are useful for diagnosing tumors with mineralized opacities.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Meal kits and home meal replacements (HMRs) are rapidly growing segments in the convenience food industry. Consequently, numerous studies have examined consumer perceptions of HMR and meal kits, respectively. HMR is an established segment, while meal kits are a recent category. Both segments offer convenience compared to home-cooked meals. However, meal kits offer a wider variety of recipes with fresh ingredients, requiring simple cooking steps to prepare the meal rather than merely heating the food. Despite the commonalities and differences, previous studies have only examined the purchasing behavior and influencing factors of either the meal kits or HMR.However, changes in the purchasing patterns of both segments may be correlated. This study investigates the relationship between consumer purchasing trends of meal kits and HMR and presents practical recommendations regarding the need of consumers for convenience foods.MATERIALS/METHODS: We conducted a panel regression analysis of consumer purchase data obtained from shopping receipts, spanning the 2019, 2020, and 2021 waves of the Korean Rural Development Administration. RESULTS: The results show that the purchases of meal kits and HMR increased during the period, suggesting a complementary relationship between the 2. We also found significant increases in purchases within 2 sub-categories of HMR, namely, ready-to-prepare and readyto-cook, alongside meal kits. These findings were further supported by the results of the sub-regression analysis. CONCLUSION The simultaneous growth of meal kits and HMR indicates that convenience foods continue to play a crucial role in meeting consumer needs in the food industry.In addition, considering the significant growth of the HMR sub-categories with fresh ingredients and cooking, we suggest that companies should aim to satisfy the desire of consumers for both convenience as well as freshness and culinary aspects.

Objective: This study evaluated the relationship between IVD degeneration and the vertebral body FSF in dogs and compared these factors between chondrodystrophic (CD) and nonchondrodystrophic (NCD) dogs. Methods: IVD degeneration in dogs was classified morphologically using the Pfirrmann grade, and the vertebral body FSF was evaluated quantitatively. Results: The vertebral body FSF showed a statistically significant difference among the age groups. The vertebral body FSF was significantly higher in Pfirrmann grades 3–5 than in grades 1 and 2. The mean Pfirrmann grade of CD dogs was higher than that of NCD dogs in the four-to-six-year-old group. The mean vertebral body FSF of CD dogs was higher than that of NCD dogs in the group of seven years and above. Conclusions and Relevance: In dogs, the vertebral body FSF increased significantly with age and Pfirrmann grade. The CD dogs showed a higher degree of IVD degeneration at a younger age than the NCD dogs. CD dogs appeared to experience more severe fat deposition of the vertebral body in old age than NCD dogs. MRI examinations are helpful for evaluating IVD degeneration and vertebral body fat deposition.

Objective: This study evaluated the relationship between IVD degeneration and the vertebral body FSF in dogs and compared these factors between chondrodystrophic (CD) and nonchondrodystrophic (NCD) dogs. Methods: IVD degeneration in dogs was classified morphologically using the Pfirrmann grade, and the vertebral body FSF was evaluated quantitatively. Results: The vertebral body FSF showed a statistically significant difference among the age groups. The vertebral body FSF was significantly higher in Pfirrmann grades 3–5 than in grades 1 and 2. The mean Pfirrmann grade of CD dogs was higher than that of NCD dogs in the four-to-six-year-old group. The mean vertebral body FSF of CD dogs was higher than that of NCD dogs in the group of seven years and above. Conclusions and Relevance: In dogs, the vertebral body FSF increased significantly with age and Pfirrmann grade. The CD dogs showed a higher degree of IVD degeneration at a younger age than the NCD dogs. CD dogs appeared to experience more severe fat deposition of the vertebral body in old age than NCD dogs. MRI examinations are helpful for evaluating IVD degeneration and vertebral body fat deposition.

Objective: This study aimed to establish normal reference values for PV indices (PV/Ao ratio and PV diameter) in cats and determine the usefulness of these for predicting symptomatic EHPSS. Methods: This study included 95 dogs and 114 cats that underwent abdominal CT. The canine normal (CN) group included dogs without EHPSS. The cats were classified into feline normal (FN, 88/114), feline asymptomatic (FA, 16/114), and feline symptomatic (FS, 10/114) groups.The PV and Ao diameters were measured in axial cross-sections. Results: The group FN had a higher PV/Ao ratio than the group CN (p < 0.001). Within the feline groups, the PV indices were in the order FN > FA > FS (both p < 0.001). The mean PV diameter and PV/Ao ratio for group FN were 5.23 ± 0.77 mm and 1.46 ± 0.19, respectively. The cutoff values between groups FN and FS were 4.115 mm for PV diameter (sensitivity, 100%; specificity, 97.7%) and 1.170 for PV/Ao ratio (90%, 92.1%). The cutoff values between group FA and FS were 3.835 mm (90%, 93.8%) and 1.010 (70%, 100%), respectively. Conclusions and Relevance: The results demonstrated significant differences in PV indices between dogs and cats. In cats, the PV/Ao ratio demonstrated high diagnostic performance for symptomatic EHPSS. The PV diameter also performed well, in contrast to dogs.

Subgaleal hematomas are accumulation of blood between periosteum and galea aponeurosis. A 2-year-old male Chihuahua was presented with a severe head swelling after trauma. Radiography and computed tomography (CT) showed a massive swelling encircling the entire calvarial vault, extending toward the cervical neck and crossing the suture line. It was heterogeneously, mild hyperdense fluid to soft tissue attenuating with contrast enhancement on CT images. On day 4, physical and imaging examination showed resolution of the calvarial swelling. Subgaleal hematoma should be considered as a differential diagnosis when there is a massive soft tissue swelling over the skull on physical and imaging examinations.

Objective: This study evaluated the relationship between IVD degeneration and the vertebral body FSF in dogs and compared these factors between chondrodystrophic (CD) and nonchondrodystrophic (NCD) dogs. Methods: IVD degeneration in dogs was classified morphologically using the Pfirrmann grade, and the vertebral body FSF was evaluated quantitatively. Results: The vertebral body FSF showed a statistically significant difference among the age groups. The vertebral body FSF was significantly higher in Pfirrmann grades 3–5 than in grades 1 and 2. The mean Pfirrmann grade of CD dogs was higher than that of NCD dogs in the four-to-six-year-old group. The mean vertebral body FSF of CD dogs was higher than that of NCD dogs in the group of seven years and above. Conclusions and Relevance: In dogs, the vertebral body FSF increased significantly with age and Pfirrmann grade. The CD dogs showed a higher degree of IVD degeneration at a younger age than the NCD dogs. CD dogs appeared to experience more severe fat deposition of the vertebral body in old age than NCD dogs. MRI examinations are helpful for evaluating IVD degeneration and vertebral body fat deposition.