Respiratory System Clinical Signs - Pathology

()Map CARDIORESPIRATORY SYSTEM (Map) RESPIRATORY SYSTEM

Nasal discharge

• Bilateral discharge:
  • Lesion is caudal to nasal septum eg: pharyngeal lesion; LRT lesion in horses
  • Lesion has resulted in nasal septum destruction
    • Neoplasia
    • Fungal infection
• Unilateral discharge:
  • Lesion is cranial to nasal septum eg: nasal or sinus lesion; pharyngeal or guttural pouch lesion in horses.
• Type of discharge
  • Serous
  • Catarrhal
  • Purrulent
  • Haemorrhage

Sneezing

• Nasal

Facial swelling

• Nasal
• Pharyngeal

Pain

• Any location

Coughing

• Pharynx
• Larynx
• Trachea

Dyspnoea/altered air flow

• Respiratory noise

Epistaxis

• Haemorrhage from the nose
• May originate from nasopharynx or lower respiratory tract
• Causes
  • Inflammation eg: ulcerative rhinitis
  • Neoplasia eg: infiltrating tumour, haemangioma
  • Trauma
  • Clotting defects

• Horse:
  • Nasal aspergillosis
  • Ethmoidal haematoma = 'Haemorrhagic nasal polyp', 'Progressive haematoma' - arise from the ethmoid region and can extend to fill the nasal cavity. They can be difficult to control as they can recur after surgery.
    • Histology - multiple areas of acute to chronic haemorrhage within a fibrous tissue stroma.
  • Exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage
  • Rupture of rectus capitus - profuse haemorrhage
  • Mycotic infection of guttural pouches
  • Nasolacrimal haemorrhage
  • Nasal/pharyngeal trauma/foreign body
  • Sinus neoplasia
  • Sinus cyst
  • Sinusitis
  • Lower airway disease
  • Pulmonary neoplasia
  • Cardiac
    • Mitral insufficiency
    • Atrial fibrillation
  • Skeletal
    • Head trauma
  • Rarely hypertension or vascular aneurysms

• Blood stained nose at post-mortem - terminal pulmonary congestion, oedema, haemorrhage

Dysphagia

• Horses
  • Gastrointestinal tract
    • Oesophageal obstruction
  • Respiratory tract
    • Retropharyngeal abscesses e.g. strangles
    • Other retropharyngeal masses
    • Pharyngeal foreign body
    • Pharyngeal paralysis
  • Neurological
    • Guttural pouch mycosis
    • Equine grass sickness
    • Botulism
    • Lead poisoning
• Cleft palate
• Dummy foal

• Equine respiratory disease by clinical signs
  • Contains pictures and videos
  • From Equine Respiratory Diseases edited by P. Lekeux, published by the International Veterinary Information Service (IVIS)
  • Requires IVIS membership