Abstract
BackgroundThe canine lacrimal gland (LG) and accessory lacrimal gland of the third eyelid (TEG) are responsible for production of the aqueous portion of the precorneal tear film. Immune-mediated, toxic, neoplastic, or infectious processes can affect the glands directly or can involve adjacent tissues, with secondary gland involvement. Disease affecting these glands can cause keratoconjunctivitis sicca, corneal ulcers, and loss of vision. Due to their location in the orbit, these small structures are difficult to evaluate and measure, making cross-sectional imaging an important diagnostic tool. The detailed cross-sectional imaging appearance of the LG and TEG in dogs using computed tomography (CT) has not been reported to date.ResultsForty-two dogs were imaged, and the length, width, and height were measured and the volume calculated for the LGs & TEGs. The glands were best visualized in contrast-enhanced CT images. The mean volume of the LG was 0.14 cm3 and the TEG was 0.1 cm3. The mean height, width, and length of the LG were, 9.36 mm, 4.29 mm, and 9.35 mm, respectively; the corresponding values for the TEG was 2.02 mm, 9.34 mm, and 7.90 mm. LG and TEG volume were positively correlated with body weight (p < 0.05).ConclusionsContrast-enhanced CT is a valuable tool for noninvasive assessment of canine lacrimal glands.
Highlights
The canine lacrimal gland (LG) and accessory lacrimal gland of the third eyelid (TEG) are responsible for production of the aqueous portion of the precorneal tear film
The lacrimal gland (LG) is an epithelial gland that is responsible for approximately 60% of the production of the aqueous component of the precorneal tear film in the canine eye, with the remaining 40% contributed by the accessory lacrimal gland of the third eyelid (TEG) [1]
Compromise of the LG and Accessory lacrimal gland of the third eyelid (TEG) can lead to the development of keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS) [5] with vision debilitating sequelae [6]
Summary
The canine lacrimal gland (LG) and accessory lacrimal gland of the third eyelid (TEG) are responsible for production of the aqueous portion of the precorneal tear film. Immune-mediated, toxic, neoplastic, or infectious processes can affect the glands directly or can involve adjacent tissues, with secondary gland involvement Disease affecting these glands can cause keratoconjunctivitis sicca, corneal ulcers, and loss of vision. Due to their location in the orbit, these small structures are difficult to evaluate and measure, making cross-sectional imaging an important diagnostic tool. Compromise of the LG and TEG can lead to the development of keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS) [5] with vision debilitating sequelae [6] Imaging techniques, such as ultrasound and MR, have become important in detecting and monitoring disease in people and in distinguishing lacrimal gland origin disease from other disorders of the orbit [7,8,9,10,11,12]. The contents of the orbit and the location of the lacrimal gland have been described on CT images [20,21], to the authors’ knowledge, the detailed cross-sectional imaging characteristics of the canine lacrimal glands have not been studied
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