Imaging and Endoscopic Diagnosis of Lung Diseases in Small Animals. A Review

Diagnostic imaging plays a fundamental role in the diagnosis of pulmonary diseases. Radiography, ultra-sound, computed tomography, and endoscopy are important tools for achieving a diagnosis. The choice of diagnostic procedure varies according to the patient, the suspected diagnosis and the risk/benefit ratio. Cul-ture, cytology and histology are nearly always necessary to obtain a definitive diagnosis. Several biopsy sam-pling techniques are described. Surgical biopsies are the gold standard for the diagnosis of bronchiolitis or interstitial lung diseases but often not performed due to the high risk. In humans, the introduction of trans -bronchial cryobiopsies has led to excellent results in the study of interstitial lung diseases. (c) 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

A Comparison of Times Taken for the Placement of the First portal and Complication Rates between the Veress Needle Technique and the Modified Hasson Technique in Canine Ovariectomy Laparoscopic Surgery

Minimally invasive surgery is increasingly being used in veterinary medicine. Laparoscopic procedures have several advantages compared with open surgery. These include the magnification of the field of surgery, reduced post-surgical pain and associated stress, reduced post-operative infection rates, and decreased hospitalization time. The establishment of a pneumoperitoneum is a critical step; however, this procedure can prolong the operation time, and most of the complications associated with laparoscopic surgery have been attributed to the insertion of devices into the abdominal cavity. Two main techniques have been employed to create pneumoperitoneum: the closed-entry method using the Veress needle and the open Hasson technique. The first portal is necessary to start insufflation and, subsequently, to realize the operative channel to insert the laparoscopic instruments into the abdomen. Many authors have compared the time necessary to create the first portal using different techniques in human medicine, but studies on this topic in veterinary medicine are lacking. In the veterinary medicine literature, complications associated with the creation of a pneumoperitoneum and the placement of ports include spleen, bowel, or bladder injuries; pneumothorax; and subcutaneous emphysema. The aim of the present study was to compare the times required for the placement of the first portal and the creation of pneumoperitoneum, and the rates of intraoperative complications using the Veress needle technique (VNT) and the open modified Hasson technique (MHT). The sample population comprised 30 female dogs who underwent laparoscopic ovariectomies. The dogs were randomly organized into two groups and two different entry techniques were used: Veress needle (VNT = group A) and the modified Hasson technique (MHT = group B). Complications related to abdominal entry were classified as major, in cases of organ perforation, and minor, in cases of subcutaneous emphysema and gas leakage. The VNT and MHT required 374.0 s and 242.9 s, respectively, for the placement of the first portal and for establishing pneumoperitoneum (p < 0.05). Their major complications rates were 20% and 0%, respectively (p < 0.05). Their minor complications rates were 20% and 35%, respectively (p < 0.05). No surgical procedures required laparotomy. The MHT was associated with a lower major complication rate and required less time to create the first portal, compared with the Veress needle technique

Subtotal Epiglottectomy and Ablation of Unilateral Arytenoid Cartilage as Surgical Treatments for Grade III Laryngeal Collapse in Dogs

Stage III laryngeal collapse is defined as the collapse of the corniculate processes of the arytenoid cartilages and the destructuration of the dorsal portion of the rima glottidis. The primary cause is chronic upper airway obstruction, and the condition is often present in brachycephalic dogs. The treatment is still controversial; the patients are generally treated with a permanent tracheostomy. This article reports the authors’ experience with 16 dogs affected by stage III laryngeal collapse treated with subtotal epiglottectomy and the ablation of unilateral arytenoid cartilage. Before the surgery, all of the dogs underwent an effort test to classify the clinical severity of the disease and an endoscopic examination of the airways to determine the stage of severity of the laryngeal collapse. One month after surgery, the effort test was repeated in order to evaluate the clinical outcome. One year after surgery, the owners of 12 patients rated their dogs as follows: excellent in five cases, good in five cases, and fair in two cases. According to this pilot study, epiglottectomy associated with the photoablation of unilateral arytenoid cartilage increases airway flow, and thus may be considered a valid surgical procedure to treat dogs affected by grade III laryngeal collaps

Two-Port Laparoscopic Adrenalectomy in Dogs

SIMPLE SUMMARY: An adrenal mass represents the primary indication for adrenalectomy. Laparoscopic adrenalectomy is a minimally invasive surgical technique that minimizes pain and improves patient recovery. The traditional technique involves the use of a single or multiple port (three or four). The objective of the study was to evaluate the feasibility and complication rate of two-port laparoscopic adrenalectomy to remove adrenal masses smaller than 4 cm in diameter. In total, 16 dogs with adrenal masses were enrolled in the study and clinicopathologic data were harvested from the medical records. The dogs were placed in sternal recumbency with cushions positioned under the sternum and pubis to simulate the quadrupedal station and displace the abdominal viscera. In all cases, the procedures were feasible with two ports. In five cases, capsule rupture occurred, and all were adrenal gland carcinomas. ABSTRACT: The gold-standard treatment for functional tumors is adrenalectomy, and the procedure can be either open or laparoscopic. Laparoscopic adrenalectomy (LA) is a minimally invasive technique designated for small–medium-sized adrenal tumors without vascular invasion. LA is routinely performed using three or four ports with the patient in sternal or lateral recumbency. The aim of the study was to evaluate the feasibility of LA with two ports in order to reduce invasiveness and improve patient recovery. In total, 16 dogs with adrenal tumors were included in the study and the two-port technique was performed. Adrenalectomy was performed based on the presence of hypercortisolism in thirteen cases, whereas, in three cases, adrenalectomy was performed in the absence of evidence of cortisol production. Thirteen cases were carcinomas and three were adenomas of the adrenal gland; furthermore, twelve were on the left side and four were on the right side. Capsule rupture occurred in five cases. After performing the technique in all cases, no additional ports or laparotomy conversion occurred. Based on the authors’ experience, laparoscopic adrenalectomy can be performed with two ports

Clinical Value of CT-Guided Fine Needle Aspiration and Tissue-Core Biopsy of Thoracic Masses in the Dog and Cat

Diagnosis of thoracic lesions on the basis of history and physical examination is often challenging. Diagnostic imaging is therefore of paramount importance in this field. Radiology has traditionally been considered the diagnostic procedure of choice for these diseases. Nevertheless, it is often not possible to differentiate inflammatory/infectious lesions from neoplastic diseases. A correct cytological and histopathologic diagnosis is therefore needed for an accurate diagnosis and subsequent prognostic and therapeutic approach. In human medicine, Computed Tomography (CT) and CT-guided biopsy are used in the presence of lesions which are not adequately diagnosed with other procedures. In the present study, thoracic lesions from 52 dogs and 10 cats of different sex, breed and size underwent both CT-guided fine-needle aspiration (FNAB) and tissue-core biopsy (TCB). Clinical examination, hematobiochemical analysis and chest radiography were performed on all animals. In this study, 59 of 62 histopathological samples were diagnostic (95.2%). Cytology was diagnostic in 43 of 62 samples (69.4%). General sensitivity, accuracy and PPV for FNAB and TCB were 67.7%, 67.7% and 100% and 96.7%, 95.2% and 98.3%, respectively. Combining the two techniques, the overall mean accuracy for diagnosis was 98.4%. Nineteen of 62 cases showed complications (30.6%). Mild pneumothorax was seen in 16 cases, whereas mild hemorrhage occurred in three cases. No major complications were encountered. CT-guided FNAB cytology can be considered a useful and reliable technique, especially for small lesions or lesions located close to vital organs and therefore dangerous to biopsy in other way

Clinical Outcomes and Stifle Osteoarthritis Assessment of Nine Cats Before and After Tibial Plateau Levelling Osteotomy

This study aimed to evaluate the clinical and radio graphical outcome of cats following TPLO surgery for cranial cruciate ligament deficiency. Each cat underwent orthopedic assessment, pre-operative radio graphical evaluation, surgical procedure, postoperative management and clinical re-examination 1, 2, and 12 months following surgery. Age, body weights, TPAs, meniscal tears, implants and osteoarthritis progression were recorded. Postoperative OA score was compared with that obtained 1 year after surgery using a paired t-test with commercially available software. Radio graphical evaluation performed 1 year after surgery showed no significant OA progression (P-value > 0.1). Minor complications occurred in one case (#7) in which a mild to moderate seroma was observed ten days after surgery. No major complications were recorded. Although TPLO surgery in cats remains controversial, this study suggests that it was a suitable option for surgical treatment of feline cranial cruciate ligament rupture, but considering the ex vivo outcomes recently published, further in vivo evaluation is strongly recommended.Studija je obavljena radi evaluacije kliničkih i radiografskih posleidca kod mačaka kod kojih je urađena TPLO operacija usled defi cijencije kranijalnog krucijalnog ligamenta. Kod svakog pacijenta, urađena je ortopedijska procena, pre-operativna radiografska evaluacija, hirurška procedura, posleoperativna procedura i kliničko posmatranje jedan, 2 i 12 meseci posle operacije. Za svaku mačku, beleženi su podaci u vezi starosti, telesne mase, TPA, rascepa meniskusa, kao i napredak u odnosu na implant i osteoartritis. Posle operativni OA skor je, upotrebom parnog t-testa (komercijalno dostupan softver), upoređivan sa onim koji je dobijen godinu dana posle operacije. Radiografska evaluacija koja je obavljena godinu dana posle operacije, nije pokazala statistički značajan napredak u OP skoru (p>0,1). U jednom slučaju (pacijent broj 7), deset dana posle operacije, uočene su blage komplikacije u smislu pojave seroma blagog do srednjeg intenziteta. Uopšteno, nisu uočene bilo kakve komplikacije. Iako se smatra da je TPLO hirurška intervencija kod mačaka kontroverzan zahvat, ova studija ukazuje da se ipak radi o prihvatljivoj opciji za hirurški tretman rupture kranijalnog krucijalnog ligamenta kod mačaka. Međutim, imajući u vidu ex vivo posledice koje su nedavno opisane, ipak je neophodno da se obavi dalja evaluacija ove procedure