Within the past 30 years, through ongoing technology and portability developments,
real-time (b-mode) ultrasonography (RTU) has increasingly become a valuable diagnostic tool in
assessing the female reproductive tract in swine. Initially applied in swine production to visually
determine pregnancy status, RTU use has expanded to include assessment of the peri-pubertal and
mature non-pregnant females as well. Transabdominal and transrectal modalities to visualizing the
reproductive tract in swine have been reported with the transabdominal approach more common
due to the fact of its ease of accessibility, animal/personnel safety, and reduced time to perform.
Adjustable frequency transducers are preferred as they allow optimization of image quality at various
depths. If a single transducer frequency must be selected, a 5 MHz probe provides the best versatility
for visualizing the reproductive tract in swine. Other basic requirements for ultrasound equipment
which will be used on commercial swine farms include being light weight and easy to handle, readily
cleanable and disinfectable, long battery-life, and good durability. When using RTU for pregnancy
determination, diagnosis is based upon a combination of the animal’s breeding records, the presence of
embryonic fluid, and, depending upon gestational stage, fetal structures. If RTU is used as a diagnostic
tool in assessing reproductive problems in an individual or a group of animals, sonographic evaluation
of both the uterus and ovaries is performed. Tissues are delineated and assessed based upon their
echogenicity, echotexture, and size. Uses of RTU in clinical practice may include assessment of
delayed puberty, prolonged wean-to-estrus interval, absence of post-weaning estrus, herd disruptions
in conception and farrowing rates, vulval discharge, peripartum and puerperal disorders. This review
aims to provide an overview on principles and clinical uses of RTU with respect to application to
address female reproductive performance issues in commercial swine operations.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:DRESDEN/oai:qucosa:de:qucosa:84606 |
| Date | 06 April 2023 |
| Creators | Kauffold, Johannes, Peltoniemi, Olli, Wehrend, Axel, Althouse, Gary C. |
| Publisher | MDPI |
| Source Sets | Hochschulschriftenserver (HSSS) der SLUB Dresden |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion, doc-type:article, info:eu-repo/semantics/article, doc-type:Text |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
| Relation | 2076-2615, 950 |
Page generated in 0.002 seconds