Equine Internal Medicine Q&A 19

This question was provided by Manson Publishing as part of the OVAL Project. See more Equine Internal Medicine questions

Auscultation of the ventral lung fields of a four-year-old Thoroughbred-cross gelding revealed a decrease in breath sounds.

Question	Answer		Article
What diagnostic procedure is illustrated in the image?	Thoracocentesis, a surgical puncture of the chest wall into the pleural cavity for aspiration of fluids, also called pleurocentesis.		Link to Article
What is the value of this procedure?	Thoracocentesis is a procedure which has both diagnostic and therapeutic value. When the findings from either thoracic auscultation or percussion suggest a pleural effusion, thoracocentesis can both confirm its presence and provide a specimen for examination. Analysis of the pleural fluid may in turn help you to determine the underlying disease process and develop a therapeutic plan. Drainage of pleural effusion via thoracocentesis is beneficial in removing large volumes of fluid from the thorax. Immediately following this drainage, some horses show increased pain, associated with loss of the ‘cushion’ of fluid in the pleural space. Removal of this fluid decreases respiratory effort and is beneficial in the resolution of an infectious process in the thorax. In horses with thoracic neoplasia and large volumes of pleural effusion, thoracocentesis and chest drainage may resolve signs of dyspnoea and respiratory distress.		Link to Article
What are the normal values for pleural fluid nucleated cell counts and total protein?	Pleural fluid from healthy horses may contain up to 10,000 nucleated cells/l and 35g/l total protein. Most horses have less than 5,000 nucleated cells/l and less than 25g/l total protein.		Link to Article