Topic:Epiglottis
The epiglottis in horses is a cartilaginous structure located at the entrance of the larynx, playing a role in the respiratory and digestive systems. It functions by covering the glottis during swallowing, preventing food and liquid from entering the trachea. This anatomical feature is significant in maintaining normal respiratory function and ensuring safe ingestion of food. The epiglottis can be involved in various equine health conditions, such as epiglottic entrapment or inflammation, which may impact a horse's performance and well-being. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the anatomy, function, disorders, and clinical management of the epiglottis in horses.
Adenocarcinoma involving the tongue and the epiglottis in a horse. Tumors involving the oral cavity of the horse are uncommon. No cases of equine adenocarcinoma on the dorsum of the tongue have been reported in the literature. We report a case of adenocarcinoma located on the dorsum of the posterior one-third of the tongue in a 29-year-old gelding with severe dysphagia. Endoscopy revealed an epiglottis involvement, and histology was consistent with adenocarcinoma arising from minor salivary glands, which was associated with a severe fungal colonization of affected tissues. The goals of this report are to present an uncommon case of dorsum of the tongue-associ...
Endoscopic evaluation of arytenoid function and epiglottic structure in Thoroughbred yearlings and association with racing performance at two to four years of age: 2,954 cases (1998-2001). OBJECTIVE-To determine the association between results of endoscopic evaluation of arytenoid function (AF) and epiglottic structure (ES) in Thoroughbred yearlings and racing performance at 2 to 4 years of age. DESIGN-Retrospective case series. ANIMALS-2,954 Thoroughbred yearlings. Procedures-Records of yearlings that had endoscopic evaluation of the larynx between 1998 and 2001 were obtained, and results were graded by use of standardized scales. A modified Havemeyer scale (grade I, II.1, II.2, III, or IV) was used to evaluate AF; ES was graded on a scale of 0 to IV. Records were annotated if ...
[Experimental studies on the therapy of epiglottis hypoplasia in horses–transendoscopic injection of collagen and polytetrafluoroethylene]. Epiglottic augmentation by transendoscopic injection of an implant material was performed on ten clinically healthy horses. In six cases bovine collagen (Zyplast) was used, in the remaining four horses the injection was done with polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE-Paste). The results of the surgery were observed endoscopically and by contrast radiography. Using the radiographs, epiglottic length and thickness were measured. For necropsy and histologic assessment the horses, three and two animals of the two groups, were euthanized at three and 12 weeks after surgery. The data obtained from the measur...
Morphology of the nerve endings in laryngeal mucosa of the horse. To discuss the significance of laryngeal sensation on various disorders of the horse, we studied the morphological and topographical characteristics of sensory structures in the laryngeal mucosa using immunohistochemistry and immunoelectron microscopy. Various sensory structures, i.e. glomerular endings, taste buds and intraepithelial free nerve endings, were found in the laryngeal mucosa by immunohistochemistry for protein gene product 9.5 (PGP 9.5) and neurofilament 200kD (NF200). Glomerular nerve endings were distributed mainly in the epiglottic mucosa; some endings were also found in the a...
The distribution of nerve fibres immunoreactive for vasoactive intestinal peptide, calcitonin gene-related peptide, substance P and dopamine beta-hydroxylase in the normal equine larynx. The autonomic innervation of the mammalian respiratory system is complex, and involves a wide variety of peptide and non-peptide neurotransmitters which will have an important role in normal laryngeal function and the response to disease. This innervation has been partially described in the horse airway and lung, but there is no information on the equine larynx. This paper describes the expression and distribution of nerve fibres immunoreactive for vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), substance P (SP) and the adrenergic enzymatic marker dopamine beta-hyd...
Instrumentation and techniques in respiratory surgery. In this article, videoendoscopy in conjunction with high-speed treadmill exercise and other specialized diagnostic techniques used to measure upper airway function are reviewed as they pertain to the four most commonly diagnosed functional upper airway obstructions: (1) laryngeal hemiplegia, (2) arytenoid chondritis, (3) epiglottic entrapment, and (4) intermittent dorsal displacement of the soft palate. Using experimental and clinical findings obtained with these new instruments and diagnostic techniques, current recommendations for surgery of these obstructions are presented.
Epiglottitis in horses: 20 cases (1988-1993). 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), ...
Evaluation of epiglottic augmentation by use of polytetrafluoroethylene paste in horses. Epiglottic augmentation was evaluated in 7 horses, using 7 ml of polytetrafluoroethylene (polytef) paste injected submucosally on the ventral surface of the epiglottis. In 6 horses, an Arnold-Bruning intracordal injection syringe, specifically designed to inject polytef into paralyzed vocal folds in human beings, was used. At necropsy 60 days after surgery, group mean thickness measurement 20 mm from the epiglottic tip was 40% greater (P less than 0.01) and, at the epiglottic attachment of the aryepiglottic fold, was 29% greater (P less than 0.01) in the 6 polytef-augmented horses than in clin...
Use of transendoscopic contact neodymium:yttrium aluminum garnet laser to drain dorsal epiglottic abscesses in two horses. A submucosal abscess, located on the dorsal surface of the epiglottis, was diagnosed in 2 Thoroughbred racehorses by use of endoscopy. Both horses had exercise intolerance. One horse had intermittent dorsal displacement of the soft palate, coughed while eating and galloping, and made an abnormal respiratory noise. Both abscesses were drained transendoscopically by use of a contact neodymium:yttrium aluminum garnet laser. Eleven days after surgery, the surgical sites appeared to have healed. Clinical signs resolved permanently, and both horses returned to successful racing careers.
Correlation of performance with endoscopic and radiographic assessment of epiglottic hypoplasia in racehorses with epiglottic entrapment corrected by use of contact neodymium:yttrium aluminum garnet laser. Epiglottic entrapment in 35 Thoroughbred and 44 Standardbred horses was corrected transendoscopically by use of a neodymium:yttrium aluminum garnet laser. Before surgery, the entrapped epiglottis was classified as hypoplastic or normal in each horse on the basis of endoscopic appearance alone. Using a digitizer, thyroepiglottic length was determined from lateral-view laryngeal radiographs. For 78 racehorses, earnings (less than $5,000 or greater than $5,000) were compared before and after surgery. Earnings category and racing performance after surgery were tested for association with endoscopi...
Radiographic assessment of epiglottic length and pharyngeal and laryngeal diameters in the Thoroughbred. A lateral radiograph of the pharyngeal region provides a technique for identifying pharyngeal disorders, including entrapment of the epiglottic cartilage and dorsal displacement of the soft palate. Epiglottic cartilage length, predicted from radiographs by measurement from the body of the thyroid cartilage to the tip of the epiglottis (thyroepiglottic length), was well correlated to actual length at postmortem examination (r2 = 0.98). Thyroepiglottic length, corrected for magnification, was 8.76 +/- 0.44 cm in 24 healthy Thoroughbreds. Nine Thoroughbreds with entrapment of the epiglottic carti...
Endoscopic findings in the upper respiratory tract of 479 horses. A flexible fiberoptic endoscope was used to examine the upper respiratory tract of 479 horses and 41 (8.6%) had abnormalities. Pharyngeal lymphoid hyperplasia (PLH) was found in 141 horses (29.5%). Statistical analysis showed a relationship between the age of the horse and the prevalence of PLH. Sixteen (3.3%), 10 (2.1%), and 6 (1.3%), of the horses had laryngeal hemiplegia, epiglottic entrapment, and dorsal displacement of the soft palate, respectively. There was no association between the age of the horse and the prevalence of any of these abnormalities; nor was there a positive correlation ...