Topic:Endoscopy
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.
Transendoscopic contact neodymium:yttrium aluminum garnet laser treatment of tympany of the auditory tube diverticulum in two foals. 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...
Transendoscopic electrocautery-induced gastric ulcers as a model for gastric healing studies in ponies. 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 ...
Squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx and pharynx in horses. 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...
Lack of residual lung damage in horses in which Rhodococcus equi-induced pneumonia had been diagnosed. 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...
Endoscopically assisted annular ligament release in horses. 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 ...
Clinical and endoscopic study to estimate the incidence of distal respiratory tract infection in thoroughbred foals on Ontario breeding farms. 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...
Seminal vesiculitis as a cause of signs of colic in a stallion. 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.
Transoral axial division, under endoscopic guidance, for correction of epiglottic entrapment in horses. 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 ...
Evaluation of local endobronchial antigen challenges in the investigation of equine chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Local transendoscopic endobronchial antigen challenge, which has proved to be a valuable clinical and research technique in the study of human pulmonary hypersensitivity, was evaluated in control and asymptomatic COPD--affected horses. Transendoscopic endobronchial challenges with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), Micropolyspora faeni extract at 60 and 600 micrograms/ml and mouldy hay extract elicited neutrophilic airway inflammatory responses in control (N = 5-7) and asymptomatic COPD-affected (N = 5-7) horses, as determined by cytological examinations of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) ha...
Effect of ranitidine on healing of experimentally induced gastric ulcers in ponies. Thirty young ponies were examined endoscopically for evidence of gastric ulceration. Seven ponies had noninduced gastric ulcers present at the initial examination and were eliminated from the study. In an attempt to induce gastric ulcers experimentally, flunixin meglumine (1.1 mg/kg of body weight, IM, q 8 h) was administered for 7 days to the 23 ponies with endoscopically normal gastric mucosa. During the 7 days of flunixin administration, 11 ponies developed gastric ulcers that were appropriate for study. The 11 ponies were randomly allotted to 2 groups. Group-A (n = 5) and group-B (n = 6) p...
Effect of sucralfate on healing of subclinical gastric ulcers in foals. The effect of sucralfate on healing of subclinical gastric ulcers and gastric inflammation was investigated in twelve 6- to 7-month-old foals. Foals with endoscopically evident gastric lesions on day 0 were assigned to 1 of 2 groups, on the basis of mucosal inflammation and number and severity of ulcers, to create groups of foals with approximately equal severity of lesions. None of these foals had clinical signs of gastroduodenal ulcer disease. Groups were assigned to receive sucralfate (22.0 mg/kg of body weight) or corn syrup for 14 days, PO, every 8 hours. On day 15, gastroscopic examinati...
Diagnostic techniques for evaluation of the paranasal sinuses. Physical examination of the paranasal sinuses is often insufficient to confidently reach a conclusion concerning suspected pathology in these cavities. Often, other evaluation techniques are necessary. This article describes physical examination, rhinoscopy, sinus centesis, radiology, and sinus endoscopy of the equine paranasal sinuses. These techniques can be used to diagnosis and determine the cause of most sinus disorders.
Surgical treatment of intramural esophageal inclusion cysts in three horses. Three horses were diagnosed as having esophageal inclusion cysts. Clinical signs included dysphagia, swelling of the cervical esophagus, and salivation. Surgical removal of the cyst was attempted in two horses. Both horses survived, but multiple complications occurred, including esophageal fistulation and neurovascular damage. Marsupialization of the cyst was performed in the third horse. The stoma closed 3 weeks after surgery without complications, and endoscopic examination revealed a grossly normal esophagus. Marsupialization may be preferable to surgical removal for treatment of selected e...
Use of esophagoscopy in the diagnosis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in a horse. Esophagoscopy allowed visualization and biopsy of a lesion within a diverticulum of the esophagus in an adult horse. Although the biopsy specimen obtained was small, diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma was possible from histologic examination of the esophageal tissue sample retrieved by use of endoscopy.
Epiglottic augmentation by use of polytetrafluoroethylene to correct dorsal displacement of the soft palate in a standardbred horse. A 2-year-old 400-kg Standardbred colt with a history of exercise intolerance was determined to have dorsal displacement of the soft palate (DDSP). Standing endoscopy revealed a soft, flaccid, and hypoplastic epiglottis and arytenoid cartilages that moved symmetrically and abducted fully. Lateral laryngeal radiography was used to calculate a corrected thyroepiglottic length of 6.48 cm. Videoendoscopy during exercise on a high-speed treadmill at standardized treadmill speeds was performed weekly for 3 consecutive weeks. The soft palate dorsally displaced at each examination. A sternohyoideus/ste...
Outcome of treatment in 23 horses with progressive ethmoidal haematoma. This paper describes the outcome of treatment in 23 horses with an ethmoidal haematoma. In 22 cases a diagnosis could be made by endoscopic means alone but in 1 horse the lesion was confined to the maxillary sinus and a diagnosis was made only at surgery. One horse was destroyed at the owner's request but the other 22 underwent radical excision of the lesion via a facial flap approach under general anaesthesia. Post-operative haemorrhage was controlled by nasal packing with a gauze bandage and this was removed between the 2nd and 4th post-operative day. One horse died from encephalitis the day...
Prepurchase evaluation of horses: 134 cases (1988-1990). To quantify some components of prepurchase evaluations in horses, records from 134 evaluations performed during a 2-year period were reviewed and the outcome was determined via telephone follow-up interview. Sixty-two percent of the prepurchase evaluations had been performed at the clinic and 38% had been performed in the field by the ambulatory service. All evaluations included physical and lameness examinations, whereas radiography (49%), endoscopy (15%), nerve blocking (5%), transrectal palpation (3%), hematologic analysis (2%), electrocardiography (2%), drug testing for analgesic agents (2...
Bronchoscopy of the horse. 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...
Removal of nasogastric tube fragments from three horses. Three horses were admitted for retrieval of polyurethane nasogastric tube fragments. The fragments were removed from the esophagus or stomach of 2 horses by manipulation of a snare introduced through the biopsy port of an endoscope. The fragments were surgically removed from the stomach of the third horse.
Examination of the upper and lower respiratory tract relevant to purchase. The intent and extent of the respiratory tract examination relevant to purchase are dictated by numerous factors, including historical information, signs suggestive of respiratory tract abnormalities, intended use of the horse, and economic considerations. Following a thorough and systematic examination of the horse at rest, evaluation during and following exercise may be warranted. The physical examination should include evaluation of regional symmetry of the head, neck, and thorax; evaluation of nasal airflow and patency; palpation of the nasal septum, larynx, and trachea; examination for su...
Medical examination of the digestive system relevant to purchase. Routine examination of the digestive system relevant to purchase includes gross examination of the feces, auscultation of the abdomen, and examination of the oral cavity and teeth for verification of age and identification of any gross abnormality. Further examination is indicated only when there is a history of diseases such as colic, especially colic surgery, or esophageal obstruction. Special procedures that might be indicated, depending upon the history and findings on the routine physical examination, include rectal palpation of the abdominal viscera; endoscopic examination of the esophag...
Videoendoscopic evaluation of the mare’s uterus: III. Findings in the pregnant mare. 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 ...
Videoendoscopic evaluation of the mare’s uterus: I. Findings in normal fertile mares. The new generation of videoendoscopes uses an electronic, instead of an optical, system for image transmission. Advantages over conventional fibre-optic endoscopes include increased image quality, handling robustness and direct display of the image on a TV monitor for multiple simultaneous viewing. In the present study, hysteroscopy was performed on 14 normal fertile Welsh Pony and Thoroughbred mares at various times during the annual and ovarian breeding cycles. Oestrus was characterised by an oedematous, relaxed cervix lying on the floor of the vagina, diffuse oedema of the endometrium and t...
Gastric ulceration in horses: 91 cases (1987-1990). Gastroendoscopy was performed on 111 horses (1 to 22 years old) that had signs of abdominal discomfort of variable duration and severity. At least 1 episode of colic had been observed within 48 hours of examination in 31 horses. Recurrent episodes of colic were observed in 28 horses within 2 to 10 days of examination, 31 horses within 11 to 30 days, 12 horses within 31 to 60 days, and in 9 horses at more than 60 days after the initial examination. Gastric ulceration was found in 91 of 111 horses examined. Other abnormalities involving the gastrointestinal tract or other abdominal viscera were ...
Videoendoscopic evaluation of the mare’s uterus: II. Findings in subfertile mares. Videoendoscopy of the reproductive tract was performed in 87 Thoroughbred mares with histories of reduced fertility. During hysteroscopy samples for cytological, microbiological and histological examinations were obtained under visual control. Common findings in these broodmares included: (a) endometrial degeneration, as assessed by an uneven distribution or atrophy of endometrial folds and/or a scarred appearance of the endometrium (49 mares, 56%); (b) endometrial cysts of various sizes and locations within the uterus with the most common location being at the base of the uterine horns (48 ma...
Tracheal obstruction from tracheal collapse associated with pneumonia in a horse. A 20-month-old Quarter Horse stallion was admitted for evaluation of labored breathing, honking cough, and bilateral epistaxis that were caused by pneumonia and collapsed trachea. A transtracheal aspiration revealed highly cellular, serosanguineous fluid. Radiography revealed a patchy alveolar pattern and a narrowed tracheal lumen. Endoscopy confirmed narrowing of the tracheal lumen. Streptococcus zooepidemicus was isolated on culture of the transtracheal aspirate. The horse responded to penicillin treatment, and the tracheal collapse improved endoscopically after 4 days, with complete recover...
Reproductive anatomy and physiology of the stallion. Examination of the stallion's reproductive tract involves assessments of external and internal anatomy. External examinations are performed by visual inspection, palpation, or ultrasonography and include the scrotum, testes, epididymides, penis, and prepuce. Internal examinations may be performed by rectal palpation, transrectal ultrasonography, or endoscopy and include the accessory sex glands, pelvic urethra, and inguinal rings. A fertile stallion must produce, transport, store, and deliver viable spermatozoa to the mare. The physiologic processes involved include neuroendocrine control, spe...
Progressive ethmoidal haematoma in horses. Progressive ethmoidal haematoma was diagnosed in 12 Thoroughbreds, 1 part- Arab and 1 stock horse. Ages ranged from 3 to 18 years and both males and females were affected. Diagnosis was based on history, clinical signs, endoscopic and radiographic findings, and was confirmed histologically in 10 cases. Eleven (78%) of the lesions were unilateral and 3 (22%) were bilateral. Two horses were euthanased on diagnosis, 4 were treated conservatively. Of the latter, 3 were euthanased 6 to 24 months after diagnosis, due to progression of the lesions, while 1 case resolved completely within 13 months. E...
The effects of stress on gastric ulceration, T3, T4, reverse T3 and cortisol in neonatal foals. Sixteen neonatal foals stressed by disease underwent endoscopic examination of their stomachs and blood was assayed for triiodothyronine (T3), reverse T3 (rT3), thyroxine (T4) and cortisol, to determine the effects of severe physiological stress and the occurrence of gastric ulcers. compared with eight age-matched controls, six foals had abnormal cortisol, seven had abnormal T3 and 12 had abnormal T4. Eleven of 13 foals had rT3 outside the 95 per cent confidence interval for clinically normal foals of comparable ages. Gastric lesions were seen more frequently in stressed foals, and gastric gla...