Hold your horses: A comparison of human laryngomalacia with analogous equine airway pathology.

The research article presents a study comparing laryngomalacia in humans (primarily infants) and dynamic airway collapse in horses. The aim is to understand the similarities in the aetiology, symptoms, management, and surgical interventions between the two conditions.

Research Methods

• The researchers carried out a structured review of databases such as PubMed, Ovid Medline, and Cochrane Collaboration (Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Database of Systemic Reviews).
• They focused on identifying equine conditions that cause dynamic airway collapse and derived specific associations with the anatomical structures involved in humans suffering from laryngomalacia.

Study Findings

• Among all the equine conditions causing dynamic airway collapse, Axial Deviation of the Aryepiglottic Folds (ADAF) emerged to be the most clinically similar to human laryngomalacia.
• This similarity was particularly prevalent in the immature equine airway that is comparable to infants in human cases.
• The researchers observed that both conditions are managed either conservatively, or if the symptoms become severe, surgical intervention is required.
• The surgical procedures carried out for ADAF in horses and laryngomalacia in humans were found to be technically similar.

Conclusion

• The study concluded that dynamic collapse of the equine larynx, particularly ADAF, is clinically analogous to human laryngomalacia.
• The similarities extend to the treatment methods as both conditions are managed in a similar fashion, with conservative measures preferred initially and surgical intervention used as required.