[Endoscopic findings in horses with diseases of the upper respiratory tract].

This research uses a flexible glassfibre endoscope and a specialized camera to capture images of the upper respiratory tract of horses, focusing mainly on diseases causing lumen constriction.

Methodology

• The study uses specialized tools such as a flexible glassfibre endoscope, a 300 W cold light source and a special adapted camera to capture colour photos of the upper respiratory tract of horses.
• The primary focus of these imaging efforts is to better understand the disease processes that lead to a narrowing of the lumen, or the interior passage of the respiratory tract.

Areas and Conditions Studied

• The photographic survey covered several areas of the respiratory tract where these conditions are known to occur. These included the nose, guttural pouches and the larynx.
• Specific conditions under investigation included larynx diseases such as hemiplegia, subepiglottic cysts, epiglottic entrapment and rostral displacement of the plica palatopharyngica. The guttural pouch disease and proliferation in the nose were also examined.
• Moreover, the researchers also studied endoscopic findings of changes in the soft palate and in the recessus pharyngicus, another part of the upper respiratory tract.

Implication

• The photo documentation and associated findings can provide a clearer understanding of the various disease processes that lead to lumen constriction in horses’ upper respiratory tract.
• This deepened understanding might potentially aid in the development of better diagnostic and treatment methods for such conditions in the future.