AT THE ZOO
Occasionally one pays a visit to the Zoo. Here one of our Radiographers, Ms Dianne Payne, is getting ready.
Radiography Room at the Zoo, which was equipped with equipment donated by the Alfred Hospital.
And here is our “Tiny” Patient “Motaba”. The carers had noticed an intermittent swelling of the right cheek which was thought to be due to an obstruction in the Salivary Duct. A Sialogram was requested, here we see the anaesthetised “Hairy Little Darling” out to the world with the Anaesthetist in blue, tenderly looking on.
The dentist with the anaethetist (Dr. Moriarty)
Dr. Sacharias using Ultrasound to possibly find a dilated duct and small stone, the Lemon Juice is meant to stimulate salivary flow and distend the duct. This however did not happen.
A Radiograph of the Temperomandibular Joint shows a markedly narrow and irregular articular surface in the Temperomandibular Joint indicative of osteoarthritis. This was accepted as the cause of the intermittent swelling of the joint and exclusion of hard branches from Motaba’s diet was found to be helpful.
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A visit to the zoo to attend to Motaba, a gorilla who has intermittent swelling in the region of the right temporomandibular joint. This was thought to be due to a calculus and a sialogram was requested. The equipment in the theatre was donated by the Alfred hospital. A veterinary anaesthetist (Dr. Moriarty), dentist and radiographer are shown in the photos having arrived for the job. We then see a slice of lemon which is used to stimulate salivary flow and thus indicate the position of the punctum of the salivary gland. An ultrasound examination of the cheek failed to demonstrate any dilation of the Salivary duct.
A radiograph of the mouth showed degenerative changes in the temporomandibular joint which is markedly narrowed and no evidence of a calculus which would be expected to be radio-opaque. Motaba was transferred to Werribee Zoo where he is still living and has a diet of soft food and no hard sticks to chew on.
Dr Nina Sacharias
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