respiratory 4 Flashcards
What are the various functions of the mesothelial cells that line the pleural cavity
activated mesothelial cells are capable of:
1) phagocytosis (akin to macrophages)
2) they participate in pleural inflammation via production of cytokines
3) produce collagen and other proteins
4) activation of plasminogen to plasmin - fibrinolysis (and therefore protection against adhesion formation
5) also produce procoagulants that promote fibrin - less extent
What are the consequences of fibrin exudation into the pleural cavity
1) removed by phagocytosis - macrophages and activated mesothelial cells
2) 3-4 days post-injury, granulation tissue growing from the subserosal connective tissues will bridge between the parietal and visceral pleura
- adhesions may restrict movement of the lungs and chest wall but there is usually only minor interference with gas exchange and this diminishes over time as the adhesions stretch with continuous respiratory movements
what accumulates in the pleural cavity post mortem
- serosanguineous (blood-stained watery) fluid that does not clot accumulates after death in the pleural cavity (and the peritoneal cavity and pericardial sac)
- diffusion of haemoglobin from lysing red blood cells - red staining of the serosa and viscera
What are the clinical signs that might be observed in an animal with pleural disease
1) dyspnoea with laboured inspiration and a short effortless expiratory phase
2) auscultation and there may be dullness on percussion of the chest
3) compression of the cardiac atria - impaired venous return to the right heart and an obvious jugular pulse of increased amplitude
4) pleuritis - coughing, nasal discharge, rapid shallow guarded breathing
5) pleural pain - reluctance to move or lie down, uncomfortable
what are the possible causes of pneumothorax
1) rib fracture with tearing of the visceral pleura and lung parenchyma
2) blunt trauma to the chest
3) spontaneous pneumothorax - spontaneous rupture of lung lesion such as alveolar bullae
what does pneumothorax lead to
- the positive intra-pleural pressure causes compression atelectasis (collapse) of the lungs -> dyspnoea and tachypnoea
- severe bilateral pneumothorax can be life-threatening within minutes of onset
from where can air enter the mediastinum
1) tears in the trachea, bronchi, alveoli, oesophagus
2) bite wounds in neck in small animals
3) sudden change in intra-thoracic pressure caused by blunt chest trauma
4) coughing or excessive respiratory effort
5) rough placement of endotracheal tubes
what are the consequences of effusion into the pleural cavity
- The longer the fluid is present the more likely the lung won’t recover to normal function
- irrespective of the type of effusion, the excess fluid raises the intra-thoracic pressure and causes compression atelectasis of the lung parenchyma
What tests are usually performed on thoracocentesis samples
- the aspirated fluid is subdivided into an EDTA tube (for total nucleated cell count, packed cell volume, total protein concentration and cytological examination) and a sterile plain tube (for aerobic and anaerobic culture)
Characterises into transudate, exudate and modified transudate
what can cause haemothorax in domestic animals
1) most commonly chest trauma
2) bleeding intra-thoracic tumours (haemoangiosarcoma)
3) lungs lobe torsion
4) rodenticide anticoagulant poisoning
What does hydrothorax look like grossly and what would the fluid in hydrothorax be classified as on laboratory analysis?
- the fluid may be watery or faintly cloudy or blood-stained (serosanguineous)
- trasnduate - clear, colourless, odourless, non-degenerative neutrophils
- modifies transudate - slightly turbid grossly and may vary in colour from yellow to white to pink-red
list 6 causes of hydrothorax in domestic animals
1) trasnudate most often severe hypoalbuminaemia OR
2) overhydrated animals - intravenous fluid therapy
3) right-sided congestive heart failure (all species)
4) left-sided congestive heart failure (small animals especially cats)
5) lymphatic or venous obstruction
6) lung lobe torsion
chylothorax is which species is it often diagnosed and what does it look like grossly
cats and dogs
- white or straw-coloured or pink-tinged, may form surface cream layer if allowed to sit, typically odourless unlike puss
list 5 causes of chylothorax
usually results from physical or functional obstruction of intra-thoracic lymphatics
1) chest trauma
2) severe coughing or vomiting
3) right-sided congestive heart failure
4) idiopathic
5) lung lobe torsion
what is the most common cause of pleuritis in the domestic animals, what route of entry and what cell type dominant
septic pleuritis
- bacteria reach the cavity via the bloodstream or via direct extension from inflammatory foci in the lungs, penetrating injuries to chest wall and penetrating foreign bodies - hardwire disease
- degenerative shift neutrophils (caused by bacterial toxins)
what are 4 causes of non-septic pleutritis in domestic animals
1) lobe torsion
2) feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) virus
3) chylothorax
4) sterile foreign bodies
what are the possible cdonsequences of pleuritis
- accumulation of exudate in the cavity -> pulmonary atelectasis (especially ventrally) and, over time, pleural fibrosis
- fibrous adhesions may form between the lobes of the lungs and/or between the lungs and the chest wall and between the lungs and the pericardial sac
- severe fibrous adhesions may partially or completely obliterate the pleural space
what is the only neoplasm that arises from pleura and how is it expected to behave
mesothelioma - tends to implant over the serosal surface of the cavity (-> persistent effusion) rather than metastasising via blood
what other tumours can implant over the pleura and what class of pleural effusion is associated with intra-thoracic neoplasia
- carcinomas, sarcomas involving lungs, mediastimun, chest wall
- pure transudate but is more commonly a modified transudate or non-septic exudate
are tumours in the lungs more likely to be primary or secondary (metastases)
- most are metastases from other sites
- the high prevalence of lung metastases reflects the rich pulmonary blood supply
What is the typical gross appearance of metastases to the lungs and what are common tumours that
metastasise to the lungs in domestic animals?
- multiple nodules of comparable size randomly scattered throughout the lungs
1) lymphoma - all
2) haemangiosarcoma - dogs and cats
3) malignant melanoma - horse
What are the two most common primary pulmonary tumours in domestic animals, what is their expected behaviour and which animals are most likely to develop one of these tumours?
1) bronchioloalveolar carcinoma, tend to arise out of periphery of the lung lobes and metastasise throughout the lung
2) bronchogenic carcinoma - tends to arise towards hilus of lung commonly metastasise to at least tracheobronchial lymph nodes
- dogs and cats
What is pulmonary adenomatosis (jaagsiekte) in sheep
pulmonary adenomatosis due to infection with oncogenic retrovirus, not in Australia or New Zealand
what are the two main reasons for increase respiratory effect and the 3 for no lungs sounds
- Increase respiratory effect and rate
1) Disease of pulmonary parenchyma
2) Disease within the pleural space - fluid, air, blood - No lung sounds
1) Fluid
2) Air
3) Displaced organ