Equine Internal Medicine Q&A 07

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You are asked to examine a three-year-old Thoroughbred mare with a history of intermittent coughing and exercise intolerance. The cough is said to be most pronounced when the horse is eating. The animal is clinically healthy but during light exercise you hear an abnormal noise during both inspiration and expiration. Endoscopic examination reveals the lesion shown in the image.

Question	Answer		Article
What is your diagnosis?	Epiglottic entrapment. The epiglottis is covered by the entrapping membrane, thereby obscuring the serrated edge and its surface vasculature.		Link to Article
Describe two basic methods for surgical correction.	The entrapped epiglottis can be approached through a ventral midline laryngotomy, after which the aryteno-epiglottic tissue is resected. Alternatively, the aryteno-epiglottic fold can be approached through the mouth or nose, after which the fold is divided in the midline using either a hook with a cutting edge on the inside of the hook, or transendoscopically using Nd:YAG laser, or transendoscopically using monopolar electrosurgical cutting equipment. Transendoscopical treatment can be performed in the standing animal.		Link to Article
What postoperative complications may occur?	Dorsal displacement of the soft palate may occur, especially after resection of the aryteno-epiglottic fold. This is most likely to occur if dorsal displacement of the soft palate was observed prior to surgery, or if the epiglottis is hypoplastic or deformed.		Link to Article