A 60-lb. loggerhead sea turtle named Seaweed underwent an MRI exam at Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital to evaluate injuries incurred following a boat accident, according to an August 25 report from 13NewsNow.com.
The injured sea turtle, first identified by a local fisherman, was receiving various treatment options at the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center when the aquarium decided to seek out medical imaging services.
Though radiologists at the hospital have previously examined CT scans of turtles to evaluate injuries, this was the first time they used MRI, the article noted. The reason behind acquiring the MRI scan was to determine the extent of Seaweed's soft-tissue injuries, and to help the turtle's caretakers decide on the best course of medical treatment.
"I'll be truthful with you here, I don't think we've ever done an MRI on a turtle here before so this will be our first," Dr. Louis Caron, director of radiology at the hospital, said in the article. "Obviously the anatomy is much different than a human so the techniques may be a little different. ... And I think we actually Googled it online to get some information."
