Ultrasonographic imaging of the vagosympathetic trunk in the dog

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the applicability of ultrasonogra phic imaging of the vagosympathetic trunk in the dog. Cervical ultrasound w as performed in 30 healthy dogs. In all 30 dogs the vagosympathetic trunk w as detected as a hypoechoic structure in the carotid sheath, adhering the d orsomedial surface of the common carotid artery. The echotexture of the ner ve was heterogeneous with anechoic areas separated by hypoechoic bands. A s canner equipped with a 5 to 8 MHz linear array probe was used for imaging a nd measurements. The diameter of the vagosympathetic trunk ranged from 0.59 to 2.48 mm varying in correlation to the body weight. In summary, ultrason ography is a helpful noninvasive method to image and evaluate the cervical vagosympathetic trunk in the dog.