Tracheal obstruction from tracheal collapse associated with pneumonia in a horse.

The research investigates a case of tracheal obstruction in a young horse, caused by pneumonia-induced tracheal collapse. The study presents the successful treatment of the horse with antibiotics, reporting a full recovery within a year, suggesting that tracheal collapse in such cases might be reversible.

Case Description

• The subject of the study was a 20-month-old Quarter Horse stallion, admitted due to an intense cough, labored breathing and bleeding from the nose (bilateral epistaxis).
• These symptoms were traced back to a collapsed trachea, a condition commonly encountered in older horses due to cartilage degeneration and associated with a case of pneumonia.

Diagnostic Process

• A transtracheal aspiration, a procedure to extract fluid from the lungs via the trachea, was performed on the horse. The fluid extracted was found to be highly cellular and blood-streaked (serosanguineous).
• Further examination of the horse’s condition was undertaken using radiography which revealed a narrow tracheal lumen, indicating a collapsed trachea, and a patchy alveolar pattern, characteristic of pneumonia.
• To solidify the diagnosis, an endoscopic examination was carried out, which confirmed a narrowed tracheal lumen, further evidencing tracheal collapse.
• The bacterium Streptococcus zooepidemicus was found in the extracted fluid, suggesting it as the source of the pneumonia.

Treatment and Recovery

• The infected horse was successfully treated using penicillin, an antibiotic known to be effective against Streptococcus bacteria.
• Four days post-treatment, an endoscopic examination showed improvement in the collapsed trachea, and after a year, the horse had completely recovered.

Research Implications

• The findings of this study challenge the existing belief that tracheal collapse in horses is solely an age-related condition inherent to older horses due to degenerative cartilage.
• The case demonstrated that tracheal collapse could be the result of inflammation caused by an infection such as pneumonia.
• Most importantly, the tracheal collapse in this case was reversible, thus adding substantial knowledge about the nature of this condition in young horses.