Clinical outcome of horses with guttural pouch infection following transpharyngeal fenestration.
Abstract: To report the clinical outcomes of horses with chronic guttural pouch infection characterized by accumulation of mucopurulent material following transpharyngeal diode laser fenestration. 13 client-owned horses. Horses undergoing diode laser fenestration for chronic guttural pouch infection were identified by medical record search. Signalment, disease history, presence of mucopurulent empyema or chondroids, and pre- and postoperative therapy were recorded. Owners were contacted for follow-up information at a minimum of 6 months following surgery. 13 horses underwent laser fenestration for chronic guttural pouch infection. Thirteen had mucopurulent nasal discharge on presentation, and 3 were coughing. At follow-up, 12 horses treated with transpharyngeal diode laser fenestration had complete resolution of nasal discharge and coughing. One horse, despite resolution of guttural pouch infection on endoscopy, continued to have nasal discharge and coughing attributed to concurrent equine asthma syndrome. All owners expressed satisfaction with the surgical procedure and clinical resolution of guttural pouch infection. This surgical technique for transpharyngeal diode laser fenestration of the guttural pouch was uncomplicated to perform and well tolerated in sedated horses and attributed to resolution of clinical signs associated with guttural pouch infection, and owners reported a high satisfaction with the clinical outcome. Implementing this surgical technique could be considered to hasten resolution of chronic guttural pouch disease in horses with few technique-related complications.
Publication Date: 2022-05-05 PubMed ID: 35522581DOI: 10.2460/javma.22.01.0041Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Research Support
- N.I.H.
- Extramural
Summary
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The research article is about the treatment of chronic guttural pouch infection in horses through a surgical technique called transpharyngeal diode laser fenestration, and reviews the clinical outcomes of this method.
Research Objective and Methodology
- The goal of the research was to study the clinical results of horses suffering from chronic guttural pouch infection, identified by the buildup of mucopurulent material, after undergoing a surgical procedure called transpharyngeal diode laser fenestration.
- For this study, data were collected for 13 horses owned by clients that had undergone diode laser fenestration for chronic guttural pouch infection.
- Details such as the horses’ profiles, disease history, presence of mucopurulent empyema or chondroids, and pre- and post-operative therapy were recorded.
- Owners were contacted for follow-up information, at least six months after the surgery.
Research Findings
- Out of the 13 horses that underwent this surgical operation for chronic guttural pouch infection, 13 presented mucopurulent nasal discharge, and 3 were observed coughing on presentation.
- At follow-up, 12 out of the 13 horses demonstrated complete resolution of nasal discharge and coughing symptoms after being treated with transpharyngeal diode laser fenestration.
- One horse, despite the resolution of the guttural pouch infection as observed on endoscopy, continued to experience nasal discharge and coughing. This lingering issue was attributed to concurrent equine asthma syndrome.
- All the owners expressed satisfaction with the surgical process and the clinical resolution of the guttural pouch infection in their horses.
Conclusion and Implications
- The study concluded that the surgical technique of transpharyngeal diode laser fenestration for the guttural pouch was not complicated to perform, was well received in sedated horses, and was directly linked to the resolution of clinical symptoms related to guttural pouch infection. The owners’ high satisfaction with the clinical outcome was also reported.
- The study suggests that this surgical technique could be implemented to expedite the resolution of chronic guttural pouch disease in horses, as it had few technique-related complications.
Cite This Article
APA
Koch DW, Ericksen KA, Easley JT, Hackett ES.
(2022).
Clinical outcome of horses with guttural pouch infection following transpharyngeal fenestration.
J Am Vet Med Assoc, 260(10), 1211-1215.
https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.22.01.0041 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
MeSH Terms
- Horses
- Animals
- Horse Diseases / surgery
- Eustachian Tube / surgery
- Empyema / veterinary
- Endoscopy / veterinary
Citations
This article has been cited 2 times.- Lepage H, de Chaisemartin C, Spadaro Rosselo A, Leroy H, Lepage O. Endoscopically assisted transcutaneous placement of a balloon catheter in the medial guttural pouch compartment of the horse: A surgical approach to local treatment. Vet Surg 2026 Jan;55(1):131-141.
- Piat P, Cadoré JL. Endoscopic Anatomy of the Equine Guttural Pouch: An Anatomic Observational Study. Vet Sci 2023 Aug 26;10(9).
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