Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Intrathoracic tracheal rupture.
- Journal:
- Journal of feline medicine and surgery
- Year:
- 1999
- Authors:
- Lawrence, D T et al.
- Affiliation:
- Veterinary Teaching Hospital · Australia
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
This report discusses five new cases of tracheal rupture (a tear in the windpipe) in cats, along with 11 similar cases from other studies. Most of these cats didn't show any clear signs of breathing problems right after their injury, and in half of the cases, the tracheal rupture was the only issue found. The time between the injury and the start of breathing trouble varied from 1 to 28 days, with an average of about 12.5 days. X-rays showed a break in the trachea, sometimes with air trapped between the broken parts. With careful surgery and anesthesia, the outlook for these cats is very good, as all eight cats that had surgery in the last 14 years survived and returned to normal health.
Abstract
This paper reports five new cases of intrathoracic tracheal rupture in cats, and summarizes these cases in conjunction with 11 cases from the literature. Most cats had no obvious respiratory signs at the time of injury, and in half of them the tracheal rupture was the only injury. The interval from trauma to onset of dyspnoea ranged from 1 to 28 days (median 12.5 days). Radiographic findings include loss of continuity of the trachea, often with a gas-filled diverticulum present between separated tracheal rings. With careful attention to surgical technique and anaesthetic management the prognosis for these cats is excellent. All eight of the cats reported in the last 14 years having surgical correction survived and returned to normal. The surgical anatomy, approach and tracheal anastomosis technique is described and recommendations for anaesthetic management are made.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11919015/