Epiglottic entrapment by arytenoepiglottic folds in the horse.

The research article discusses an abnormality in horses where the epiglottis, a flap in the throat that keeps food from entering the windpipe, is entrapped due to unusual formations of surrounding tissues, specifically the arytenoepiglottic folds. The study provides diagnostic approaches and the potential causes of this condition, as found in 21 horses.

Summary of Findings

• The article presents a study in which an uncommon condition known as epiglottic entrapment was diagnosed in 21 horses. This condition occurs when the epiglottis – a leaf-shaped flap responsible for ensuring food and fluid avoid the windpipe during swallowing – gets trapped or enveloped by the arytenoepiglottic folds, the folds of tissue near the entrance of the windpipe.
• Previously, this epiglottic entrapment was not well comprehended. The study reveals that the most reliable way to diagnose this condition is through endoscopic examination of the epiglottis, arytenoepiglottic folds, and soft palate. This examination helps in differentiating epiglottic entrapment from dorsal displacement of the soft palate, another disorder that often coexists with epiglottic entrapment.

Associated Features and Presumed Causes

• The study noticed that the issue of epiglottic entrapment often co-occurs with epiglottic deformity like hypoplasia, a condition where the epiglottis is underdeveloped or smaller in size than it normally should be.
• Interestingly, the condition was observed in horses between the age of 1 to 16 years, with a significant number (11 of 21) being two years old or younger. This demographic data led the researchers to hypothesize that there might be a congenital predisposition to this condition, meaning that the horses could be born with a likelihood of developing epiglottic entrapment.
• This hypothesis was supported by the finding that many of these horses had congenital deformities of the epiglottis. However, the fact that some of these horses were able to train and race without apparent signs of upper airway obstruction led the researchers to assume that the entrapment could also result from an injury to the epiglottis.