Pleural Disease

Question 1

pneumothorax

Answer 1

air in the pleural space

Question 2

soft tissue pleural diseases

Answer 2

neoplasia
diaphragmatic hernia
abscess

Question 3

pleural effusion

Answer 3

fluid in the pleural space

Question 4

what are the clinical signs of pleural disease

Answer 4

• rapid shallow breathing
• asynchronous breathing
• dull to absent lung sounds

Question 5

what is a pleural bleb/bullae

Answer 5

alveoli weaken and break down causing it to rupture at the lung surface –> releases gas into the pleural space

Question 6

what is glide sign

Answer 6

hyperechoic line depicting the sliding of the visceral pleura (lung) against the parietal pleura (chest wall)

Question 7

how does pneumothorax affect glide sign

Answer 7

loss of glide sign because there is now air between the visceral and parietal pleura

Question 8

transudate

Answer 8

low cellularity, low protein effusion

Question 9

modified transudate

Answer 9

moderate cellularity
high protein

Question 10

exudate

Answer 10

high cellularity, high protein fluid

hemothorax, pyothorax, chylothorax, FIP

Question 11

what lung lobe is most prone to torsion

Answer 11

left cranial lung lobe

Question 12

what breed is prone to lung lobe torsion and which lung lobe affects them

Answer 12

pugs - right middle lung lobe

Question 13

what is the most common type of organism to cause a pyothorax

Answer 13

bacteria > fungi

Question 14

what bacterial organisms cause pyothorax commonly

Answer 14

aerobes: pasteurella, E. coli, actinomyces, strep, staph

anaerobes

mycoplasma (cats w/ pleuropneumonia)

Question 15

treatment of pyothorax in cats

Answer 15

thoracostomy tube + antibiotics

if fails –> CT + exploratory surgery

Question 16

treatment of pyothorax in dogs

Answer 16

if not in foxtail endemic area: thoracostomy tube + antibiotics

if in foxtail endemic area: advanced imaging + exploratory surgery + thoracostomy + antibiotics