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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.
Efficacy of needle and endoscopic lavage on the recuperation of microspheres from the adult equine metacarpo-/metatarsophalangeal joint and digital flexor tendon sheath. To measure microsphere recovery following needle-through-and-through lavage (NTAT) of the metacarpo-/metatarsophalangeal joint (fetlock) and digital flexor tendon sheath (DFTS) compared to endoscopic lavage (EL). Methods: Ex vivo experimental study. Methods: Adult equine cadavers immediately following euthanasia (n = 10). Methods: Colored 15 μm microspheres (2 million) were injected into fetlock joints and DFTS. Synovial structures were assigned to NTAT or EL groups. Each lavage was performed using 5 L of 0.9% NaCl, sequentially collecting egress fluid for microsphere quantification. Re...
Diagnosis and Strategies for the Treatment of Infectious Equine Tendon and Ligament Disorders. Diagnostic and treatment strategies for infectious equine tendon and ligament disorders are continually evolving where recent progress is focused on advanced imaging and evidence supporting endoscopic lavage and regional antimicrobial therapy.
Diagnosis and Minimally Invasive Surgical Treatment for Enhancing Intrathecal/Intrasynovial Tendon Injuries. Intrathecal and intrasynovial tendon and ligament injuries can result in extrusion of tendon/ligament fibers, granuloma, and adhesion formation that not only impairs healing of the original injury but can create new injuries that negatively affect adequate healing and return to athletic work. In these cases, endoscopic evaluation and debridement, not only of the lesion, but also any other secondary injury present, can enhance the healing of the tendon or ligament and improve the athletic prognosis. Careful planning of the approach, positioning, instrumentation, and thorough knowledge of the an...
Headshaking associated with a unique presentation of guttural pouches infection and otitis media in a Quarter Horse stallion: diagnosis, medical treatment and outcome. A 3-year-old Quarter Horse stallion was referred for headshaking (HS) syndrome of one month duration. The horse underwent complete HS workup. Physical examination revealed up-and-down head movements associated with nose snorting during lunging and riding, in the absence of other abnormalities at rest or in motion. Lameness, neurologic and behavioural evaluations were unremarkable. Endoscopic examination of the upper respiratory tract showed bilateral guttural pouches (GPs) inflammation. The mucosal surface was altered by the presence of areas of microbullous appearance coalescing into some bul...
Equine epiglottitis: Diagnosis, treatment and outcome. Epiglottitis is an uncommon upper airway pathology manifested endoscopically by mucosal oedema, reddening and thickening of the epiglottic mucosa. Literature on epiglottitis in horses is sparse. Objective: To describe the diagnosis, treatment and outcome of Thoroughbred and Standardbred racehorses diagnosed with epiglottitis at a single centre. A secondary objective is to demonstrate the efficacy of inhaled and topical anti-inflammatories for this condition. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: Medical records (2009-2023) were reviewed for racehorses treated for epiglottitis. Data coll...
Internal carotid artery dolichoarteriopathies in the horse: An endoscopic and anatomic study. Endoscopy of the guttural pouches in neonatal foals occasionally reveals atypical aspects in the course of the extracranial internal carotid arteries (ICAs) that are hardly seen in adult horses. While in veterinary medicine the data available on the presence of these anomalies in domestic mammals are limited and incomplete, in human medicine the morphological aspects of the ICAs have been the subject of extensive studies. Anomalies in the course and geometry of ICAs are commonly defined as dolichoarteriopathies, and should be classified as tortuous, kinked or coiled. To document whether the an...
Oral Extraction and Nasal Retrieval of a Fragmented Maxillary Fourth Premolar Tooth in a Horse Using Endoscopic Guidance: A Case Report. This case report presents the removal of the left maxillary fourth premolar tooth (208) which had a chronic complicated crown root fracture in a 9-year-old Warmblood mare. Following a 14-month history of malodorous nasal discharge, clinical and radiographic examination allowed the diagnosis of a comminuted crown root fracture of 208 and oronasal fistula. Some root fragments inaccessible for oral extraction were subsequently removed using a transnasal approach through the existing oronasal fistulous tract using bronchoesophageal forceps under endoscopic guidance. The oronasal fistula was surgic...
[Guttural pouch mycosis in a warmblood foal – Occlusion of the internal carotid artery using transendoscopic clip application]. The present report describes an 8-week-old warmblood foal presented following two episodes of epistaxis. The foal had a history of an umbilical infection, which had been treated with antibiotics when it was 8 days old. Four days before admission the filly showed severe, self-limiting epistaxis. The second hemorrhage occurred on the day of admission. The foal was lethargic and the remainder of the clinical examination unremarkable. A latero-lateral radiograph of the head revealed a fluid line within the guttural pouch. Endoscopy showed large amounts of blood within the pharynx and the upper thi...
Gross anatomy, computed tomographic contrast tenography, and needle endoscopy of the equine medial digital flexor tendon sheath. To investigate the computed tomography (CT) and gross anatomy of the equine medial digital flexor tendon sheath (MDFTS), and the endoscopic anatomy and approach to the MDFTS. Methods: Ex vivo experimental study and one clinical case. Methods: Twelve clinically normal cadaveric hindlimbs. Methods: Dissection, native and contrast CT scans were conducted to evaluate the anatomy of the MDFTS. Based on these findings, the portal locations for the endoscopic approaches were determined. Six hindlimbs were used in the pilot phase and another six limbs were selected for the main study. Endoscopic image...
Alterations in the Vaginal Vascular Perfusion, Chromoendoscopy and Oxidative Stress in Mares With Vaginitis and Endometritis. This study aimed to demonstrate the vaginal tissue alterations via vaginal biopsy and hemodynamic alterations by introducing chromoendoscopy to analyse the effect of equine vaginitis on the oxidative and hormonal profile. Mares were divided into normal mares (N = 10) and affected mares (N = 10). Animals were subjected to Doppler ultrasonographic evaluation, endoscopic examination, oxidative stress was estimated, and biopsy samples were taken for histopathology and immunohistochemistry. Uterine body (UB) thickness (mm), circumference (mm) and area (mm) elevated significantly in infected...
Overground endoscopic examination following laryngeal tie-forward in horses with dorsal displacement of the soft palate. To compare overground endoscopy (OGE) findings and racing performance in horses before and after laryngeal tie-forward (LTF) surgery for the treatment of intermittent dorsal displacement of the soft palate (iDDSP). Methods: Retrospective case series with follow up. Methods: A total of 56 horses met the inclusion criteria. Methods: Clinical record review of all horses definitively diagnosed with iDDSP, treated with LTF surgery, and evaluated with a single OGE examination postoperatively. In addition to LTF, some horses underwent bilateral aryepiglottic fold resection (AEFR) and/or soft palate t...
Prevalence and degree of orotracheal intubation-related tracheal lesions in horses. Orotracheal intubation is commonly performed for inhalation anaesthesia in horses to ensure safe and reliable administration of volatile anaesthetics and to secure the airways. In human and equine medicine, the occurrence of intubation-associated complications has been described, which can range from mild mucosal irritation to severe necrosis. However, there are only sparse descriptions of mucosal alterations and the course of healing after elective surgery in horses. Objective: To investigate the prevalence and severity of tracheal lesions following endotracheal intubation associated with gen...
Needle tenoscopy of the digital flexor tendon sheath in a standing equine cadaver model using a novel approach and guided palmar/plantar annular ligament desmotomy. (1) To evaluate the feasibility of needle tenoscopy of the digital flexor tendon sheath (DFTS) using basisesamoid (BS) and proximolateral (PL) approaches in a standing equine cadaver model. (2) To report visualization of intrathecal DFTS anatomy via both approaches. (3) To determine the efficacy of needle scope-guided palmar/plantar annular ligament (PAL) desmotomy. (4) To report any iatrogenic damage associated with the procedure. Methods: Ex vivo experimental. Methods: Ten equine cadaver limbs. Methods: Limbs were placed in a Kimzey leg-saver splint and needle tenoscopy was performed using t...
Yearling laryngeal function grades II.2 and below are not associated with reduced performance. The relationship between Thoroughbred yearling laryngeal function (YLF) grade and race performance is unclear. Objective: To determine the effect of YLF on future race performance. Methods: Retrospective cohort study. Methods: Post-sale endoscopic recordings were reviewed from Australian yearling sales in 2018-2019. Race performance was evaluated for career and as 2-, 3- and ≥4-year-olds. Multivariable generalised linear modelling examined the association between YLF and performance, with risk estimates presented as coefficients (95% CI). Results: The YLF in 5175 examinations was graded I in...
A genome-wide association study for recurrent laryngeal neuropathy in the Thoroughbred horse identifies a candidate gene that regulates myelin structure. Equine recurrent laryngeal neuropathy (RLN) is an economically important upper respiratory tract (URT) disease with a genetic contribution to risk, but genetic variants independent of height have not been identified for Thoroughbreds. The method of clinical assessment for RLN is critical to accurately phenotype groups for genetic studies. Objective: To identify genetic risk loci for RLN in Thoroughbreds in a genome-wide association study (GWAS) following high-resolution phenotyping. Methods: Case-control. Methods: Thoroughbred horses were characterised as RLN cases and controls using resting a...
Fenestration of the maxillary septal bulla using different surgical approaches and endoscopy systems in horses: An ex vivo study. Sinusitis is common in horses. Sinoscopy is used for visualization of sinus cavities and can be used for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. In this surgical procedure, a larger chamber is created and communication with other sinus compartments facilitated. To compare the applicability of different surgical approaches and rigid endoscopy systems for sinus inspection and fenestration of the maxillary septal bulla, and to examine the impact of different lens angles on the effectiveness of the procedure. Six chemically preserved cadaveric equine heads were used. Frontal and caudal maxillary port...
Effects of a Gastroscopic Procedure on Salivary Cortisol Release and Fecal Cortisol Metabolites in Young Racehorses. 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...
A first step towards objective grading of equine laryngeal function. Due to concerns about disagreement between veterinarians when grading resting laryngeal function (LF), a diagnostic decision tree (DDT) has been developed by codifying the Havemeyer grading system and objectively defining certain terms to remove ambiguity. Videoendoscopic examinations of the equine larynx that had previously been assigned a unanimous LF grade by 3 experienced observers were used to develop the DDT and determine the cut-off values. The DDT is a flow chart consisting of a series of dichotomous (yes/no) decisions, to dictate the order of decision making and direct the observer do...
Technique description and outcome evaluation of Thoroughbred racehorses following soft palate thermocautery performed under standing sedation. Palatal dysfunction (PD), which encompasses palatal instability (PI) and intermittent dorsal displacement of the soft palate, is the most common performance-limiting upper respiratory tract obstruction in young Thoroughbred racehorses. Soft palate thermocautery (SPT) performed under general anaesthesia is a routinely performed procedure for PD in some countries, but the procedure for and outcome of SPT performed under standing sedation has not been published. (1) To describe a technique for SPT performed under standing sedation; and (2) to assess post-operative performance in horses compared t...
Oral and Sinonasal Tumors. This article reviews the different types of equine non-neoplastic and neoplastic oral and sinonasal tumors and describes their known prevalence and general characteristics. The clinical and ancillary diagnostic findings (primarily radiography and endoscopy, and increasingly computed tomography) for each type of growth that can aid diagnosis are described. Most lesions require a histopathological confirmation of the diagnosed growth. The possible treatments and prognosis for these growths are briefly described.
Esophageal perforation diagnosis, treatment, complications, and outcome in a Standardbred colt. A 4.5-month-old Standardbred colt presented for neck swelling and fever. Endoscopy and contrast radiography identified a full thickness esophageal perforation. Surgical intervention with fasciotomies and placement of an esophageal feeding tube was elected. Intensive postoperative treatment was carried out with broad-spectrum antibiotics, gastroprotectants and probiotics, calculated feeding plan, esophagostomy and fasciotomy site lavages, care, and cleaning. Complications included recurrent bilateral pneumothorax and development of an incomplete fistula at the esophagostomy site following remov...
Explainable machine learning for assessing upper respiratory tract of racehorses from endoscopy videos. Laryngeal hemiplegia (LH) is a major upper respiratory tract (URT) complication in racehorses. Endoscopy imaging of horse throat is a gold standard for URT assessment. However, current manual assessment faces several challenges, stemming from the poor quality of endoscopy videos and subjectivity of manual grading. To overcome such limitations, we propose an explainable machine learning (ML)-based solution for efficient URT assessment. Specifically, a cascaded YOLOv8 architecture is utilized to segment the key semantic regions and landmarks per frame. Several spatiotemporal features are then ex...
Real-time in vivo confocal laser endomicroscopic imaging of equine endometrium: Preliminary observations and feasibility study. Endometrial health is vital for the reproductive efficiency of broodmares and accurate diagnostic testing is crucial for directing the best treatment options and outcomes. Confocal laser endomicroscopy (CLE) is an endoscopic technique for obtaining in-vivo, real-time microscopic imaging of tissues using a fiber optic probe. CLE relies on induced tissue fluorescence and fluorescein sodium, given intravenously, is the contrast agent most used in human medicine. This study aimed to determine the feasibility of CLE for imaging equine endometrium and determine a standard dose of fluorescein sodium ...
Current practices in equine minimally invasive soft tissue surgery. Equine minimally invasive surgical techniques are frequently utilized in the treatment of a variety of conditions. Standing sedated endoscopic surgery is commonly selected in horses, requiring specialized facilities, anesthetic protocols, and surgeon and assistant expertise. This review examines current methods and potential strategies in equine soft tissue surgery, in which there is an emphasis on laparoscopic urogenital and gastrointestinal diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Thoracoscopy is less frequently reported in horses and may be underutilized. Optimizing procedures and outcomes in...
Technique for guttural pouch bead removal using a novel three-dimensional (3D)-printed instrument. The aim of the present study was to determine if a three-dimensional (3D)-printed instrument technique would improve lavage removal of plastic beads (guttural pouch [GP] chondroid mimics) through a dorsal pharyngeal recess (DPR) fenestration. We hypothesized that using a 3D-printed instrument placed through the DPR fenestration would remove more beads, reduce lavage time and incur less soft tissue damage than using a lavage tube control or instrument placement through the salpingopharyngeal ostium (SPO). Methods: Experimental cadaveric study. Methods: A total of 30 cadaveric equine heads. Meth...
Influence of climatic changes on respiratory health in a teaching herd of outdoor-housed horses. Horses maintained outdoors may experience a lower-allergenic environment compared to their stabled counterparts. This study hypothesizes that climatic changes in southern Brazil can influence respiratory status. To test this hypothesis, we evaluated the lower airways of 17 horses from a teaching herd in southern Brazil, maintained outdoors, during winter, spring, and summer. Except for one mare with a history of severe asthma, all horses were considered healthy and underwent a physical examination. Airway endoscopic evaluation included scoring for tracheal mucus (0-5) and bronchial septum thic...
Transoral snare removal of subepiglottic cysts. The objective of this demonstration was to describe and simulate a surgical technique for removing subepiglottic cysts in horses via an oral approach under endoscopic guidance using a cadaver model for simulation and clinical data. The technique aims to provide a minimally invasive method for the removal of these cysts. Methods: 2 clinical case images from the Washington State University Teaching Hospital were used in the video. In a third horse euthanized for reasons unrelated to the study, the procedure was simulated after the head was frozen and transected transversally. Methods: Files from...
Jugular venous thrombosis as a risk factor for exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage in thoroughbred racehorses. Exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH) is one of the most commonly diagnosed disorders in racehorses. Many EIPH risk factors such as breed, age, high or low environmental temperature, and distance of the race have been studied in racehorses. Unassigned: The aim of this study was to study the relationship between EIPH and the presence of jugular vein thrombose in racehorses. Unassigned: Forty-eight thoroughbred racehorses randomly selected from animals with exercise intolerance due to respiratory disorders were enrolled in the present study. Clinical and tracheobronchoscopy examinations w...
Unilateral laser ventriculocordectomy results in increased arytenoid stability in horses with severe left sided recurrent laryngeal neuropathy. There is no objective information reporting the effect of unilateral laser ventriculocordectomy (VeC) on arytenoid abduction or stability. Objective: To evaluate arytenoid stability and abduction in horses with severe recurrent laryngeal neuropathy (RLN) before and after unilateral laser VeC. Methods: Prospective cohort. Methods: Eight horses with grade C or D exercising laryngeal function that underwent unilateral laser VeC were included. Exercising endoscopy was performed before and ≥6 weeks after left-sided laser VeC. Arytenoid stability at maximal exercise was calculated by measuring t...
Stakeholder perceptions of thoroughbred yearling sales endoscopy in Australia: can we do better? To identify thoroughbred industry stakeholders' views on the yearling sales endoscopy in Australia. Methods: Semi-structured qualitative group interviews with equine veterinarians, thoroughbred breeders and yearling purchasers. Methods: Twenty-nine experienced thoroughbred industry stakeholders participated in online focus groups: (1) equine veterinarians involved in yearling endoscopy; (2) thoroughbred breeders; and (3) yearling buyers. The focus groups were audio and video recorded and digital whiteboards were available. Data was transcribed, live-coded and analysed thematically. Results: Th...
