Equine Head and Neck Exam

Question 1

what is strabismus?

Answer 1

misalignment of the eye, cross eyed.
one eye may deviate inward or outward

Question 2

what is nystagmus?

Answer 2

involuntary eye movement

Question 3

what is the nasolacrimal duct?

Answer 3

tears are created by the lacrimal gland and nictitans gland.
tears are drained from the eye into the nose via the nasolacrimal puncta in the medial eyelid, eventually draining from the nasolacrimal duct
-an orfice visible on the floor of the nostril near the musocutaneous junction.

Question 4

what is corpora nigra?

Answer 4

irregular iris projections. found on the upper and lower pupillary margins.
more prominent than the cows

Question 5

evidence of CN VII (facial nerve) deficits

Answer 5

drooping of the ear, upper eyelid (ptosis), or lower lip.

the very mobile nose will deviate towards the normal side.

the palpebral reflex will be absent (V->VII)

Question 6

What do you feel when you palpate the larynx?
from caudal to cranial

Answer 6

cricoid cartilage, the thyroid notch, cricothyroid ligament, then thyroid cartilage

Question 7

by what age do permanent incisors erupt?

Answer 7

I1,2,3 erupt by 3,4,5 years of age

Question 8

what age would a horse at least be if they have all 12 permanent incisors erupted and in wear?

Answer 8

at least 5 yrs

Question 9

what does hypsodont teeth mean?

Answer 9

High crowns that continue to grow after the tooth erupts.
the incisors and cheek teeth continue to grow for most of their lives

Question 10

what does floating mean dentally?

Answer 10

because of the continued growth, sharp edges often develop on the buccal side of the upper cheek teeth and lingual side of the lower cheek teeth.

theses sharp edges are filed down in a process called floating

Question 11

what is diastema

Answer 11

the space between two teeth.

Question 12

what is the only palpable lymph node in horses?

Answer 12

the mandibular lymph node.
occasionally, the superficial cervical LN is palpable.

Question 13

what is the only salivary gland that is palpable in horses?

Answer 13

The parotid salivary gland.
located in the angle formed by the convergence of the maxillary and linguofacial veins, caudal to the mandible angle.

mandibular salivary glands are not palpable

Question 14

can the thyroid glands be palpated?

Answer 14

They are easily palpable in normal older horses.
(difference to SA)
located dorsocaudal or lateral to the trachea.
mobile, ovoid structure

Question 15

what is viborgs triangle?
what are the boundaries?

Answer 15

surgical access point used to provide ventral drainage from an abnormal guttural pouch

boundary:
cranially by the mandible, ventrally by linguofacial vein, and caudaodorsally by the tendon of sternocephalicus

Question 16

what are the borders of the viborgs triangle?

Answer 16

cranially by the mandible, ventrally by the linguofacial vein and caudodorsally by the tendon of the sternocephalicus muscle

Question 17

what is the nuchal ligament?

Answer 17

The nuchal ligament, a large elastic structure in the dorsal cervical region, helps support the head and neck in the horse.

Question 18

how do you evaluate the sinuses?

Answer 18

using percussion.
nomal air filled sinuses are resonant on percussions.
a dull sound may be fluid or tissue in the sinus.

Question 19

where is the frontal sinus?maxillary sinus?

Answer 19

frontal sinus: located on either side of the dorsal midline, medial to the orbits.
maxillary sinus: rostral to the orbit and dorsal to the facial crest.