Endoscopy in horses refers to a diagnostic procedure that involves the use of an endoscope, a flexible tube equipped with a camera and light, to visually examine the interior surfaces of equine organs and tissues. This technique is commonly employed to investigate conditions affecting the respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract, and other internal structures. Endoscopy allows for direct visualization and assessment of abnormalities such as lesions, obstructions, or inflammation. It can also be used to obtain biopsies or remove foreign bodies. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the applications, methodologies, and clinical relevance of endoscopy in equine medicine.
Lilich JD, Gaughan EM.The diagnostic approach to the exercise intolerant racehorse depends on sound, fundamental steps to allow complete examination of the entire horse in a logical, time-efficient fashion. Availability of referral diagnostic modalities should not overshadow the need for collecting a clinical history or performing a complete physical examination. The diagnostic approach to exercise intolerance can be divided into a few basic steps. The first step, conducted without the horse, is a thorough discussion about the horse with the trainer and/or owner. Many clinical histories are complex and therefore fo...
Tetens J, Derksen FJ, Stick JA, Lloyd JW, Robinson NE.To evaluate the efficacy of prosthetic laryngoplasty with and without bilateral ventriculocordectomy for treatment of experimentally induced left laryngeal hemiplegia (LLH). Methods: 15 adult Standardbreds. Methods: Horses were allotted to 3 equal groups. Sham operation (group 1), prosthetic laryngoplasty (group 2), or prosthetic laryngoplasty with bilateral ventriculocordectomy (group 3) was performed after induction of LLH. Upper airway function testing was performed prior to left recurrent laryngeal neurectomy (LRLN), 14 days after LRLN, and 60 and 180 days after surgical treatment. Measure...
Manohar M, Goetz TE.Exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH) is a common occurrence in racehorses. The objective of this study was to compare pulmonary vascular pressures of healthy Thoroughbred horses with and without postexertion endoscopically detectable fresh blood in the trachea. The nasopharynx, larynx, and trachea (down to the carina) of horses were examined weekly with an endoscope 55-60 min postexertion, and the diagnosis of EIPH was confirmed by the presence of fresh blood in the trachea. Measurements of heart rate and right atrial, pulmonary arterial, and pulmonary arterial wedge pressures were mad...
Murray MJ, Schusser GF, Pipers FS, Gross SJ.Gastroscopic examinations were performed on 67 Thoroughbred horses in training at a race track and repeat examinations performed in 35 horses, 2 to 3 months later. Horses were age 2-9 years and included 16 two-year-olds, 32 three-year-olds and 19 horses > or = 4-years-old. Forty-two of the 67 horses had raced within the 2 months before the initial examination and the remaining 25 horses were in training. Sixty-two of the 67 horses (93%) had one or more lesions present in the gastric mucosa and lesions were present in all of the 42 horses that had raced. Thirty-two of the 35 horses, examined...
Tulleners E.Transendoscopic laser surgery provides equine surgeons with a safe, reliable, and minimally invasive method of performing many surgical procedures in the upper respiratory tract. Although the Nd:YAG laser has proven efficacy, other newer lasers such as the diode and holmium: YAG lasers may prove to be useful tools for equine upper respiratory tract surgery. Long grasping forceps and a high quality fiberoptic or video endoscope are critical components necessary for performing transendoscopic laser surgery. For many of the most common upper respiratory tract abnormalities, a laryngotomy can be e...
Guglick MA, MacAllister CG, Breazile JE.An 18-month-old Quarter Horse gelding was examined because of weight loss and dysphagia of 1 month's duration. Clinical signs included lethargy, dehydration, ptyalism, and probable aspiration pneumonia. Severe dyspnea and cyanosis were evident after mild exercise. Endoscopy revealed laryngospasm and pharyngospasm. Because clinical signs and endoscopic findings were suggestive of hyperkalemic periodic paralysis (HPP), acetazolamide treatment was instituted. Marked improvement was observed within 48 hours. The horse was determined to be homozygous for HPP. It is likely that this horse's dysphagi...
Mair TS.The clinical features of 18 cases of summer pasture associated obstructive pulmonary disease were reviewed. The horses had signs of obstructive pulmonary disease (expiratory dyspnoea, wheezing and crackling lung sounds and coughing) during the spring, summer or autumn while they were kept permanently at grass with no access to hay or straw, for at least two consecutive years. In nine cases there was a seasonal incidence with the disease occurring during April and May. Eleven of the horses were affected by bouts of severe dyspnoea. Eleven of the horses also suffered from chronic obstructive pul...
Zamos DT, Schumacher J, Loy JK.Nasopharyngeal conidiobolomycosis caused by Conidiobolus coronatus was diagnosed in a horse after endoscopic and histopathologic examinations of a biopsy specimen. The fungal lesions in the nasopharynx were substantially reduced in size after intralesional injection of amphotericin B through the biopsy channel of a videoendoscope in combination with i.v. administration of sodium iodide and oral administration of potassium iodide during a 2-month period. Endoscopy performed 15 months after initial examination revealed regression of the granulomatous masses in the nasopharynx and complete disapp...
Hassel DM, Schott HC, Tucker RL, Hines MT.Endoscopic examination of the auditory tube diverticula was a diagnostic aid in the evaluation of 4 horses with otitis media/interna and associated osseous changes of the stylohyoid and petrous temporal. One of the horses was examined because of persistent head shaking; the other 3 were examined because of an acute onset of facial and vestibulocochlear nerve dysfunction. Proliferative lesions involving the petrous temporal bone and proximal portion of the stylohyoid bone were identified endoscopically in all 4 horses. Endoscopy is a noninvasive procedure that provides an alternative to skull r...
Hogan PM, Embertson RM, Hunt RJ.A 4-month-old Thoroughbred foal was examined because of a history of exercise intolerance and lack of airflow from the right nostril since birth. Endoscopy of the airways revealed complete membranous obstruction of the right nasal passage at the level of the nasopharynx and marked narrowing of the caudal aspect of the right ventral meatus. Unilateral choanal atresia was diagnosed. Laser ablation of the obstructing tissues was attempted through a videoendoscope. Scar tissue occluded the right nasal passage at follow-up examination 7 weeks later. Intranasal resection, using laparoscopic instrume...
Anderson JD, Tulleners EP, Johnston JK, Reeves MJ.The efficacy of sternothyrohyoideus myectomy (SM) and staphylectomy as treatments for intermittent dorsal displacement of the soft palate was evaluated in 209 racehorses (126 Thoroughbreds, 83 Standardbreds). The 2 most common complaints were respiratory tract noise (75% of horses) and exercise intolerance (51% of horses). Stopping, defined as the inability to finish the race at racing speed, was reported in 40% of the horses. Endoscopy at rest revealed evidence of abnormal epiglottic anatomy (hypoplasia or flaccidity) in 51% of the horses and abnormal soft palate function in 36% of the horses...
Hobo S, Matsuda Y, Yoshida K.A total of 350 thoroughbred racehorses found clinically as having coughs or abnormal breath sounds underwent endoscopic examination of the upper respiratory tract at rest. As a result, abnormal endoscopic findings were obtained in all horses, demonstrating that thoroughbred racehorses with a clinical abnormality in the respiratory system necessarily had disorders in the upper respiratory tract. Whereas 11 types of disorder were observed, a combination of three different types of disorder were found in the highest frequencies in 3-, 4- and 5-year-old horses (27.8%, 29.2% and 29.7%, respectively...
Rehder RS, Ducharme NG, Hackett RP, Nielan GJ.To determine whether abnormal airway pressures have a role in development of dorsal displacement of the soft palate (DDSP), measurements of tracheal and pharyngeal pressures were correlated with nasopharyngeal morphology in exercising horses. Exercising videoendoscopy and measurement of tracheal and pharyngeal pressures were used in 14 clinically normal horses and 19 horses with intermittent DDSP. The pressure signals were superimposed on the videoendoscope image, and both images were saved simultaneously on a videocassette for slow motion analysis to determine the instant displacement occurre...
Kannegieter NJ, Dore ML.Endoscopy of the upper respiratory tract was performed in 100 horses during high speed treadmill exercise. Reasons for endoscopy were a history of an abnormal noise during exercise in 75 horses, poor performance in 17 horses and to evaluate the results of upper respiratory tract surgery in 8 horses. Of the 75 horses with a history of an abnormal noise during exercise the cause was determined in 67 (89%). Endoscopic abnormalities were detected at rest in 40 of these 75 horses (53%). In these 40 horses, a similar diagnosis as to the cause of the abnormal noise was made at rest and during exercis...
McGreevy PD, Richardson JD, Nicol CJ, Lane JG.There is confusion in the veterinary literature concerning the definition of oral based stereotypies in the horse. This study reports the use of fluoroscopy and endoscopy during cribbiting/wind-sucking in afflicted horses. This permitted observations of movements of the pharyngeal and oesophageal tissues and of the air column within during the stereotypic behaviour. The findings reported show that the sequence of events during crib-biting/wind-sucking is not related to deglutition and that air is not swallowed to the stomach. Transient dilation of the upper oesophagus was recorded and the char...
Hawkins JF, Tulleners EP.Epiglottitis was diagnosed and treated in 20 horses (13 Thoroughbreds and 7 Standardbreds) over a 5-year period. Eighteen horses were used for racing, and 2 Standardbreds were broodmares. Primary clinical signs were exercise intolerance, respiratory noise, and coughing. The most common endoscopic diagnosis made by referring veterinarians was epiglottic entrapment (11 horses). In 19 horses, endoscopic evaluation at admission revealed mucosal ulceration and thickening of the lingual surface of the epiglottis. Other endoscopic findings included dorsal displacement of the soft palate (14 horses), ...
Murray MJ.Ulceration of the gastric squamous epithelial mucosa was induced in 10 horses using a feeding protocol previously shown to expose the gastric mucosa to repeated periods of high acidity. The feeding protocol consisted of alternating feed deprivation with free access to hay. Over a period of seven days, each horse was provided hay for 84 hr and deprived of hay for 84 hr. Hay was never withheld for longer than 24 hr at a time. Gastroscopy was performed on each horse at the beginning of the protocol after 12 hr of feed deprivation, and after a total of 36 hr, 60 hr, and 84 hr of feed deprivation. ...
Lapointe JM, Vrins A, McCarvill E.Sixty Standardbred horses, aged 3 to 10 years, were examined endoscopically for exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage (EIPH) 1 h after racing, on at least 3 occasions. Racing time, finishing position and post exercise venous lactate concentrations were also recorded. Horses positive for tracheal blood on endoscopy were classified as having either grade 1 EIPH (one or a few spots of blood in the trachea), or grade 2 (stream of blood). Air temperature, relative humidity and air pollutant levels were recorded on each examination day. Of the 60 horses, 52 (87%) were EIPH-positive on at least one ...
Schumacher J, Crossland LE.Primary paranasal sinusitis, complicated by inspissated purulent exudate in a ventral conchal sinus, was diagnosed in 3 horses. Partial nasal obstruction, caused by axial deviation of the ventral concha, was detected endoscopically in 2 of the horses. A mass, dorsal to the maxillary molars, was detected via a lateral radiographic view of the skull of 3 horses and on the dorsoventral view of 1 of the horses. Inspissated purulent exudate was removed from the ventral conchal sinus of the horses via trephination of the conchofrontal sinus and penetration of the caudal wall of the ventral conchal s...
Newton-Clarke MJ, Divers TJ, Delahunta A, Mohammed HO.A study was conducted over a 12 month period to assess the specificity and sensitivity of the 'slap test', using endoscopic evaluation, in the detection of cervical spinal cord and caudal brainstem lesions in horses. Fifteen ataxic horses were subjected to the 'slap test' and subsequently examined post mortem. Twelve out of the 15 had histopathological lesions consistent with their clinical signs. Thirteen horses with no history of neurological dysfunction and no histopathological evidence of cervical spinal cord or brainstem disease were used as controls. The laryngeal adductory responses exh...
McClure SR, Schumacher J, Snyder JR.Three horses were found to have an extensive nasopharyngeal cicatrix that was responsible for respiratory impairment. The cicatrization was diagnosed by use of endoscopy during evaluations of the horses for inspiratory stridor. All 3 horses were treated by endoscope-guided transnasal incision of the cicatrix and were able to resume their previous activities.
Smith BL, Aguilera-Tejero E, Tyler WS, Jones JH, Hornof WJ, Pascoe JR.To develop a bronchoscopic map of the equine respiratory tree, the major airways of the lungs of 6 healthy Thoroughbred horses were systematically explored with a flexible fibreoptic endoscope through a tracheostomy while the horses were sedated in stocks. With the carina as the reference point, measurements were made of distances to the branches of the major airways using markers on the shaft of the endoscope. All branches were explored until the narrowing of their diameters prevented further advancement of the endoscope. Positions of origins of branches from the parent bronchus were recorded...
Tetens J, Tulleners EP, Ross MW, Orsini PG, Martin BB.Tympany of the auditory tube diverticulum was treated in 2 Standardbred foals by fenestrating the median septum, using an endoscopically placed Nd:YAG laser. Recurrence in 1 foal was treated by enlarging the fenestration, using a modified Whitehouse approach, and the pharyngeal opening of the auditory tube. Use of the Nd:YAG laser eliminates the risk of inadvertent cranial nerve damage associated with incisions into the auditory tube diverticulum. The procedure can be performed with the horse sedated or anesthetized. Clinical signs can recur in the fenestration heals closed or if the condition...
MacAllister CG, Lowrey F, Stebbins M, Newman MS, Young B.The ponies were apparently healthy and 6-20 months of age. In Study 1, gastric lesions were created by transendoscopic electrocautery in the non-glandular gastric mucosa, adjacent to the margo plicatus in 9 ponies which were then treated with water, 12 mg cimetidine HCl/kg bwt or 18 mg cimetidine HCl/kg bwt per os every 12 h for 35 days. In Study 2, gastric lesions were similarly induced in 9 ponies in the non-glandular mucosa and also in the glandular mucosa just below the non-glandular lesion on the greater curvature of the stomach. The ponies were treated with water, 8 mg cimetidine/kg bwt ...
Jones DL.Medical records were reviewed for 11 horses with squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx and/or pharynx. The average age at presentation was 15.3 years. No breed or sex predilection was present. At presentation, 6 of 11 horses were dyspneic and 4 horses had inspiratory stridor. Endoscopy was performed in all cases and was more useful in demonstrating a mass in the laryngopharyngeal region than laryngeal or guttural pouch radiography. Surgical excision was attempted in 3 horses and in 1 horse alleviated clinical signs for 4 months. Ten horses were euthanatized and 1 horse died. Results of this st...
Ainsworth DM, Beck KA, Boatwright CE, Snedden KA, Rebhun WC.The effect of prior Rhodococcus equi-induced pneumonia on pulmonary health was investigated in 5 horses (< 24 months old) using endoscopy, radiography, hematologic and bronchoalveolar lavage analyses, and pulmonary function testing. Rhodococcus equi-induced pneumonia had been diagnosed in principal horses when they were foals. Diagnosis was based on positive results of transtracheal aspiration and thoracic radiography at the time of initial clinical examination. Results of reevaluation of the respiratory system of these horses (R+) were compared with those of 5 age-matched healthy horses (R...
Nixon AJ, Sams AE, Ducharme NG.An endoscopically assisted technique for internally dividing the palmar or plantar annular ligament was developed in six cadaver limb specimens and two anesthetized horses. Under arthroscopic view, a slotted cannula was inserted into the digital sheath through a stab wound proximal to the annular ligament and advanced through the fetlock canal superficial to the flexor tendons with the slot oriented toward the fibers of the annular ligament. Division of the annular ligament by 90-degree tipped open and guarded blades was observed and verified by direct arthroscopic view. At necropsy, complete ...
Hoffman AM, Viel L, Juniper E, Prescott JF.Respiratory tract infections are prevalent in foals, yet the frequency with which the distal airways are affected in clinical episodes of respiratory tract disease has not been evaluated to our knowledge. The objective of the study was to determine the incidence of distal respiratory tract infection (DRTI) in foals on a sample of Thoroughbred breeding farms (n = 10) in Ontario. In a pilot study, clinical criteria commonly used to select foals for antimicrobial treatment (detection of abnormal lung sounds, plus nasal discharge, cough, fever, tachypnea, and/or lethargy) were found to segregate f...
Freestone JF, Paccamonti DL, Eilts BE, McClure JJ, Swiderski CE, Causey RC.A 5-year-old stallion was referred because of signs of abdominal pain. During the initial examination, signs of pain were elicited when the right seminal vesicle was palpated per rectum. Signs of pain were also elicited during sexual arousal and attempts at semen collection. The right seminal vesicle was subsequently determined to be abnormal by ultrasonographic and endoscopic examination. The stallion was treated with trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole for 6 weeks. Five months later, there had been no recurrence of the condition.
Ross MW, Gentile DG, Evans LE.Transoral axial division was performed, using endoscopic guidance, in 20 horses with epiglottic entrapment. Mean age of affected horses was 3 years (range, 2 to 5 years), and there were 18 Standardbreds and 2 Thoroughbreds. Standardbreds and female horses were significantly overrepresented when compared with a reference population. Upper respiratory noise prompted endoscopic examination before surgery in 16 horses, but noise was not heard in 4 horses. Ten horses had entrapment by thin tissue without ulceration, 6 horses had entrapment by thin tissue with small, partial-thickness ulceration, 3 ...
Grabner A.Using a fibreoptic endoscope ("small gastroscope" with outside diameter of 9.3 mm) a simple and sparing inspection of the guttural pouch is performed. The flap-type tube cover is opened by means of medial leverage with a guidance probe shifted through the work duct of the endoscope. The same procedure is used in diagnostic specimen collection and therapeutical measures such as irrigations. Guttural pouch topography and pathological disorders are illustrated by endoscopic photography. The different diseases such as follicular hyperplasia, ascending pharyngeal catarrh, perforating abscesses of t...
Pozor MA, McCarrel TM, Perez Jimenez EE, Macpherson ML, Kelleman AA, Shelton KE.An 18-year-old Appaloosa stallion presented with a history of ejaculatory dysfunction, which had recently progressed to an inability to ejaculate (anejaculation). Transrectal ultrasound evaluation revealed the presence of a prominent midline cyst of the colliculus seminalis, which was compressing the most terminal parts of the deferent ducts. Both ducts were enlarged and filled with hyperechoic content. The stallion was diagnosed with a complete occlusion of the deferent ducts because of the compression from the midline cyst of the colliculus seminalis. To date, there are no established treatm...
Sweeney CR, Weiher J, Baez JL, Lindborg SR.The endobronchial anatomy of 12 lung specimens from horses and 12 healthy, standing, sedated horses was evaluated, using a 200-cm-long, 9.5-mm-diameter videoendoscope. On the basis of these findings, the nomenclature system of Amis and McKiernan was modified for identification of airways of horses during bronchoscopy. Lobar bronchi are identified on the basis of the side of the bronchial tree on which they were found and the order in which they originated from the primary bronchus. Thus, RB1, RB2, and RB3 referred to right cranial lobar bronchus, respectively. On the left side, the designation...
Rambags BP, Stout TA.An 18-year-old Friesian mare with a large intrauterine cyst was examined by transrectal ultrasonography. There were several small to moderately sized intraluminal endometrial cysts, one of which connected via the myometrium to a large subserosal cyst, thereby effectively forming a 'transmural' cyst complex. During a videohysteroscopy, the intraluminal part of this transmural cyst was removed by electrocoagulation via a polypectomy snare. It was then possible to drain the large subserosal part of the cyst into the uterine lumen by transrectal massage, thereby confirming the presence of the tran...
Nickels FA, Brown CM, Breeze RG.A unilateral pulmonary granular cell tumor occurred in a Thoroughbred mare with longstanding respiratory disease wrongly attributed to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The clinical features, radiology and endoscopic appearance permitted an accurate diagnosis, which was supported by subsequent necropsy and histologic examination. Obstructive pulmonary disease was ruled out after measurement of arterial blood gases and maximum intrathoracic pressure changes, and after microscopic examination of the lung.
Hillidge CJ, Whitlock TW.Post race endoscopy was carried out on 255 two-year-old quarter horses and exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage (EIPH) was diagnosed in 166 (65 per cent) of them. Visible epistaxis was seen in a higher proportion of geldings than in either mares or stallions. The prevalence of EIPH was similar in mares (73 per cent) and in geldings (74 per cent). A significantly lower prevalence (49 per cent) was noted in stallions (P less than 0.01). It was concluded that a sex variation in the prevalence of EIPH exists in two-year-old quarter horses.
Riley CB, Yovich JV, Bolton JR.Bilateral hypoplasia of the soft palate and aspiration pneumonia occurred in a Standardbred foal. The filly was presented with a history of illthrift, dyspnoea, coughing and bilateral nasal discharge. Abnormal sounds (crackels and wheezes) were auscultated over all lung fields and the cervical trachea. Endoscopy revealed a shortened soft palate with a uvula-like mass protruding from the free border into the nasopharynx. Mucopurulent material was present in the trachea. Samples obtained by tracheal wash were submitted for cytology, culture and sensitivity testing. Results indicated a septic inf...
Proudman CJ, Knottenbelt DC, May SA, Edwards GB.Several imaging techniques were used to diagnose hypoplasia of the soft palate in a horse. The absence of the caudal soft palate, hypertrophied lymphoid tissue and the formation of a pseudouvula were observed endoscopically. Plain and contrast radiography were used to demonstrate a soft palate remnant and to identify structures rostral to the epiglottis. Retrograde endoscopy of the pharynx via a tracheotomy incision is described.
Etherington WG, Vasey JR, Horney FD.Two cases of ethmoid hematoma of the equine are reported. Clinically both horses had intermittent unilateral epistaxis unassociated with exercise. In one horse, diagnosis was based on the use of an endoscope for visualization and for biopsy of a mass associated with the ethmoid turbinates. In the other horse, exploratory trephination of the posterior maxillary sinus was necessary to obtain a diagnostic biopsy specimen. Radiography was helpful in the diagnosis of one case. Surgical removal of the mass was attempted in one case. Histological examination of the biopsies was the single most defini...
Simpson JW, Else RW.Methods are described for the endoscopic examination and biopsy of the gastrointestinal tract and liver of the dog, cat, ox and horse. The results of the examination of 41 biopsy samples are shown, followed by a discussion of the value of biopsy in the diagnosis of diseases of the digestive tract.
Greet TR.Three horses were referred for investigation of a unilateral foul smelling scanty nasal discharge, complicated in one case by intermittent epistaxis. Thick purulent material or a mycotic plaque was identified by an endoscopic examination of the middle meatus but in two horses this had to be repeated under general anaesthesia before the abnormalities were detected. Aspergillus fumigatus was cultured from all three cases and septate hyphae were identified on smears from lesions. Histological examination of the lesion in one case revealed a fungal mycelium. Topical treatment with natamycin soluti...
Specht TE, Colahan PT, Nixon AJ, Brown MP, Turner TA, Peyton LC, Schneider RK.Ethmoidal hematoma was diagnosed in 9 horses by results of physical examination, endoscopy, radiography, and histologic examination of tissues. The horses had stertorous breathing (n = 4) or intermittently sanguineous nasal discharge (n = 7). All horses underwent sinusotomy and extirpation of the lesion. At reexamination 15 to 104 months after surgery (mean, 61 months), 3 horses had recurrence of ethmoidal hematoma, and 1 horse had ethmoidal hematoma involving the contralateral ethmoturbinates. One of the horses with recurrence of ethmoidal hematoma also developed a contralateral lesion; both ...
Hahn K, Conze TM, Wollanke B, Distl O, Goehring LS, Witte TS.A 5-month-old draft horse filly was presented with incontinence and severe perivulvar dermatitis, which developed during the previous 2 months. Left-sided ectopic ureter entering in the caudal vaginal lumen, signs of cervix hypoplasia, and urine accumulation in the uterus were found during initial vaginal endoscopy. Therefore, a left ureter-nephrectomy was conducted under general anesthesia. Additionally, a cytogenetic examination was performed, which showed a XO monosomy with a 63,X/64,XX mosaic. This is the first case report presenting a chromosome abnormality in a draft horse filly combine...
Sullins KE.Common equine upper respiratory conditions are diagnosed via endoscopy. Endoscopic surgery facilitates correction of many conditions without general anesthesia or laryngotomy, reducing the morbidity and cost of the procedures. Modalities of endoscopic surgery include the Nd-YAG laser or electrosurgery, which may be complementary. The least expensive method is electrosurgery, and instruments are available that can be passed through the biopsy channel of the endoscope. Conditions amenable to such procedures include entrapped epiglottis, rostral displacement of the palatopharyngeal arch, pharynge...
Nijdam P, Elmas C, Fugazzola MC.A 1-month-old Miniature Shetland colt was presented to the Burg Müggenhausen Equine Clinic. Primary complaints were regurgitation of milk, bilateral white nasal discharge, and weakness. Physical examination, endoscopy of the esophagus, and contrast radiography led to the diagnosis of an esophageal stricture and aspiration pneumonia. Surgical treatment by means of an esophagomyotomy was performed. The foal improved only temporarily and multiple sessions of endoscopic balloon dilation of the esophagus were performed afterwards. 12 months after the final treatment the foal was healthy and had no...
Freestone JF, Paccamonti DL, Eilts BE, McClure JJ, Swiderski CE, Causey RC.A 5-year-old stallion was referred because of signs of abdominal pain. During the initial examination, signs of pain were elicited when the right seminal vesicle was palpated per rectum. Signs of pain were also elicited during sexual arousal and attempts at semen collection. The right seminal vesicle was subsequently determined to be abnormal by ultrasonographic and endoscopic examination. The stallion was treated with trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole for 6 weeks. Five months later, there had been no recurrence of the condition.
Sanders-Shamis M, Robertson JT.Radiography and endoscopy of a 17-day-old Standardbred foal that had right-sided facial swelling and dyspnea since birth revealed a soft tissue mass in the right nasal passage and right maxillary and frontal sinuses. A bone flap was used to expose the mass, and a fluid-filled structure was removed surgically. After surgery, the dyspnea was alleviated. The facial deformity resolved by the time the foal was 6 months old. The upper airway obstruction was absent clinically and endoscopically by the time the foal was 17 months old.
Christley RM, Hodgson DR, Evans DL, Rose RJ.The relationship between different grades of laryngeal function, as assessed by endoscopy at rest, and the measurements of indices of gas exchange and exercise capacity was assessed during a standardised treadmill exercise test in 149 horses. Horses with abnormalities other than idiopathic laryngeal hemiplegia (ILH) were excluded from the study and laryngeal function was graded according to an established system. There were no significant differences in age, weight, maximum oxygen uptake, maximum carbon dioxide production, maximum respiratory exchange ratio, maximum oxygen pulse and run time b...
Haynes PF.Persistent dorsal displacement of the soft palate was diagnosed in 2 Thoroughbred horses examined because of decreased exercise tolerance and a respiratory noise during strenuous exercise. The persistent dorsal displacement of the soft palate was caused by an epiglottis that was approximately 2/3 normal size, and thus was incapable of maintaining the soft palate in a normal subepiglottic position. Contrast pharyngography suggested a primary epiglottic abnormality. Visual assessment of the lesion was accomplished by exploratory ventral laryngotomy and endoscopy of the oropharynx per os. Surgica...
Brown CM, Slocombe RF, Derksen FJ.A method of fiberoptic gastroduodenoscopy and biopsy was developed for use in large horses. A 275 cm X 13.5 mm fiberendoscope was used to examine the stomach and proximal portion of the duodenum. Food was withheld for 24 to 48 hours before examination. In more than 50 horses, gastric and duodenal structures were easily visualized. A variety of lesions was detected, including parasitic lesions, gastric ulcers, gastric neoplasia, and pyloric stenosis. Mucosal biopsy specimens were obtained in selected cases.
Damkel C, Snyder A, Uhlig A, Coenen M, Schusser GF.An electrode incorporated into a polyethylene hose was introduced under endoscopic control into the stomach of six fasting adult horses for long-lasting pH measurements. The intragastric pH was recorded every four seconds for a period of 24 hours. The Warmblood horses were assigned randomly to receive hay ad libitum (H group); 1.5 kg hay/100 kg BW/day and 1 kg concentrate/100 kg BW/ day (C group) or protocol C plus 75 g pectin-lecithin supplement/100 kg BW/day (P group). The horses were adapted to each diet for 14 days. The 24-hour median pH value for protocol H (2.69) was significantly lower ...
Ostermeier S, Palme R, Vervuert I, Glomm B, Feige K, Macho-Maschler S, König von Borstel U, Venner M.In this study, gastroscopy was performed twice in 31 two-year-old Thoroughbred racehorses in training. Salivary cortisol (SC) and fecal cortisol metabolite (FCM) concentrations were determined to measure the stress impact. One gastroscopy was performed at the beginning and one six months later at the end of the horses' first training season. According to the Wilcoxon signed rank test, a mild but significant increase of SC (1st gastroscopy: = 0.0045, 2nd gastroscopy: < 0.0001) and FCM (1st gastroscopy: < 0.0001, 2nd gastroscopy: = 0.0006) values after gastroscopy compared to basal val...
Tulleners EP, Harrison IW, Raker CW.By use of endoscopy, 75 horses with respiratory noise and/or exercise intolerance were determined to have structural arytenoid cartilage abnormalities (60 primary, 11 after previous laryngeal surgery), or failed left laryngoplasty (4 horses) for laryngeal hemiplegia in which the arytenoid cartilage still appeared normal. Eighty-eight percent of the horses were either Thoroughbred (54 horses; 72%) or Standardbred (12 horses; 16%) racehorses; only 9 horses (12%) had occupations not related to racing. Seventy-six percent of the racehorses were 2 to 4 years old; all non-racehorses were greater tha...
Tulleners E.Transendoscopic laser surgery provides equine surgeons with a safe, reliable, and minimally invasive method of performing many surgical procedures in the upper respiratory tract. Although the Nd:YAG laser has proven efficacy, other newer lasers such as the diode and holmium: YAG lasers may prove to be useful tools for equine upper respiratory tract surgery. Long grasping forceps and a high quality fiberoptic or video endoscope are critical components necessary for performing transendoscopic laser surgery. For many of the most common upper respiratory tract abnormalities, a laryngotomy can be e...
Cheramie HS, Pleasant RS, Robertson JL, Moll HD, Carrig CB, Freeman DE, Jensen ME.To evaluate an occlusion technique for the internal carotid artery of horses using an intravascular, detachable, self-sealing, latex balloon distally and ligatures proximally. Methods: Experimental study. Methods: Six healthy adult horses. Methods: In each horse, the left internal carotid artery was occluded by placement of an intravascular, detachable, self-sealing, latex balloon distally and two ligatures proximally. Radiographs were taken on days 2, 5, 10, and 30 after surgery to evaluate balloon inflation and position. Endoscopic examination of the left guttural pouch was performed 10 days...
Pasquel SG, Agnew D, Nelson N, Kruger JM, Sonea I, Schott HC.Although the equine renal pelvis and terminal recesses have been described post mortem, little information exists about the endoscopic appearance of these structures in the living horse for guiding ureteropyeloscopy. Objective: To further document the anatomy of the upper urinary collecting system, specifically the renal pelvis and terminal recesses, of the horse. Methods: Descriptive study of cadaver material. Methods: Kidneys were harvested from 10 horses. Magnetic resonance imaging was performed after distension of the renal pelvis with an elastomer casting material, followed by visual insp...
Allen WR, Bracher V.During a 5-year period 65 Pony and 20 Thoroughbred pregnant mares were subjected to videoendoscopic hysteroscopy from 10 to 266 days of gestation. The aims of these examinations were to 1) observe foetal and placental development in vivo (60 Pony and 10 Thoroughbred mares); 2) eliminate one of unicornuate twin conceptuses (9 Thoroughbred mares); 3) recover embryonic foetal and placental tissues non-surgically for experimental purposes (47 Pony mares); 4) induce focal separation of the placenta in late gestation as an experimental model of placentitis (5 pony mares and 1 Thoroughbred mare). It ...
Stick JA, Slocombe RF, Derksen FJ, Scott EA.Esophageal healing was studied in 12 ponies after cervical esophagotomy. The esophagus was sutured, feed and water were withheld for 48 hours, and then all ponies were permitted to eat. In group I (n = 6), a longitudinal esophagotomy was made. In group II (n = 6), a rotational esophagotomy was made with the mucosal incision 180 degrees away from the incision in the esophageal muscle. Three ponies in each group were fed a soft diet ad libitum for 9 days, and then were allowed access to hay and grain. The remaining ponies were fed hay and grain. The esophagotomies of all hay-fed ponies dehisced ...
Guglick MA, MacAllister CG, Breazile JE.An 18-month-old Quarter Horse gelding was examined because of weight loss and dysphagia of 1 month's duration. Clinical signs included lethargy, dehydration, ptyalism, and probable aspiration pneumonia. Severe dyspnea and cyanosis were evident after mild exercise. Endoscopy revealed laryngospasm and pharyngospasm. Because clinical signs and endoscopic findings were suggestive of hyperkalemic periodic paralysis (HPP), acetazolamide treatment was instituted. Marked improvement was observed within 48 hours. The horse was determined to be homozygous for HPP. It is likely that this horse's dysphagi...
Archer RM, Lindsay WA, Duncan ID.This study was designed to define a simple, unequivocal test for the evaluation of laryngeal function and the diagnosis of idiopathic laryngeal hemiplegia (ILH). ILH is a disorder that results from left recurrent laryngeal neuropathy and in which there is no movement of the left arytenoid cartilage and vocal fold. Laryngeal function was evaluated in seven horses using four techniques designed to stimulate laryngeal movements:-nasal occlusion, exercise, swallowing and administration of a respiratory stimulant. In addition, the effects of sedation and twitching on the endoscopic examination were...
