LA Esophageal Disease Flashcards
What are some common esophageal lesions in horses?
Esophageal obstruction (choke)
Stricture
Esophageal diverticulum
Megaesophagus
Injury/ulceration
Perforation
What percent of esophageal obstruction case patients have dentition?
90%
What are the hallmarks of choke?
Saliva and feed coming from the nares
True/False: Esophageal obstruction can result spontaneously
True
What’s the first step for a “choke” patient?
Sedation with the head up to prevent aspiration pneumonia and pass a nasogastric tube
What’s one thing you should do before you give a nephrotoxic drug to an older equine patient?
Check creatinine levels
What are some complications of esophageal obstruction?
Aspiration pneumonia
Ulceration
Stricture
Esophageal perforation (cervical, thoracic esophagus)
What is the most common cause of esophageal stricture?
Esophageal obstruction or some other trauma
What are the main clinical signs?
Recurrent obstruction/stricture
How do you diagnose esophageal stricture?
Esophagoscopy
Contrast radiography
What is the treatment for esophageal stricture?
Many animals are euthanized. Dietary management can be used to help remodeling. If young and healthy can try bougienage but is often unsuccessful.
What part of the esophagus does the stricture need to be at to attempt an esophagostomy? Cervical or thoracic?
Cervical
What are some species/breed predispositions to megaesophagus in large animals?
Camelids and friesian horses
What are some clinical signs of megaesophagus?
eight loss
dysphagia
postprandial regurgitation
hyper salivation
frothing/foaming at the mouth
abnormal rumination (camelids)
How do you diagnose megaesophagus?
Contrast radiography
What is the treatment for megaesophagus?
Most are euthanized for human reasons due to aspiration pneumonia/esophageal tear
How do you diagnoses injury/ulceration?
espophagoscopy
What is injury/ulceration often secondary to?
Esophageal obstruction
What are some causes for esophageal perforation
esophageal obstruction
nasogastric tube passage
foreign body
megaesophagus
trauma
What are the clinical signs for esophageal lesions?
dull demeanor
fever, tachycardia, tachypnea
injected mucous membranes
reluctance to eat/swallow
extended neck
cervical swelling
crepitus
How do you diagnose esophageal perforation?
Radiography – air opacities in soft tissues
