Diagnostic imaging of the Loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta)

Abstract

The aims of this work are:<br/>1. To provide the normal cervical and coelomic radiographic appearance of the Loggerhead sea turtle, in the dorso-ventral view, as well as other useful landmarks, to allow for correlation of shell scutes with internal anatomic structures. <br/>2. To provide the normal radiographic anatomy of the limbs of the Loggerhead sea turtle in combination with data obtained from computed tomography - osteological, gross anatomical and histological data.<br/>3. To describe the normal ultrasonographic appearance of cervical structures and coelomic organs of the Loggerhead sea turtle, and to provide the respective images of frozen cross-sections for anatomical reference.<br/>4. To provide normal computed tomographic images of the vertebral column and coelomic structures of the Loggerhead sea turtle, by establishing reference standards for organ size and position in this species; to provide images of virtual tracheo-bronchoscopy and 3D reconstructions of the respiratory tract and bone structures.<br/>5. To provide the normal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) appearance of coelomic structures of Loggerhead sea turtles in T1 and T2-weighted scans via comparison with cross-sectional anatomic sections of this species.