Radiological and ultrasonographical evaluation of lower urinary tract diseases in cats

The aim of this study was to evaluate lower urinary tract diseases of cats with plain radiography, ultrasonography and contrast cystography retrospectively and assess the most appropriate imaging method for each disease. In the study, 134 cats with different age, sex and breed were presented with one or more clinical signs of lower urinary tract diseases (LUTD). All cats were evaluated by radiography and ultrasonography, and contrast radiography had been performed on cats, in which plain radiography and ultrasonography were inadequate for diagnosing LUTD. LUTD included cystitis (n=20), urinary crystals (n=35), urinary crystals with cystitis (n=51), bladder calculi (n=6), bladder polyps (n=8), blood clots (n=9), bladder rupture (n=1) and idiopathic obstructions (n=4). The present study confirms that ultrasonography is an efficient imaging method for examination of lower urinary tract, but radiography and contrast cystography are still useful for diagnosing calculi, bladder ruptures, suspected urethral obstructions, and chronic cystitis which can not be evaluated by ultrasonography.