ABSTRACT
In people, thoracic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has long been an established technique in the diagnosis of thoracic disease and is considered complementary to other imaging techniques. Despite the potential value of MRI for investigating non-cardiac thoracic diseases in small animals, and the publication of several papers considering normal anatomy, there is a dearth of literature available relating to MRI of thoracic disease processes. As a result, there is currently a lack of evidence base to inform any decision whether to use MRI or computed tomography (CT) in specific circumstances. The clinical use of MRI for the investigation of thoracic disease in small animals depends on the area under investigation. Minimizing the deleterious effect of motion (voluntary, respiratory, and cardiac) remains the most significant hurdle in the production of diagnostic thoracic MR images in veterinary patients, especially as techniques are often optimized for human patients.
