Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Pleuropneumonia as a sequela of myelography and general anaesthesia in a Thoroughbred colt.
- Journal:
- Australian veterinary journal
- Year:
- 2006
- Authors:
- Rainger, J E et al.
- Affiliation:
- University Veterinary Centre Camden · United Kingdom
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A 3-year-old Thoroughbred colt was taken to the veterinary center because he was having trouble with coordination. He was put under general anesthesia for a procedure to examine his spinal cord. Although he seemed to recover well at first, five days later he came back with pleuropneumonia, a serious lung infection. Sadly, he had to be euthanized the next day for humane reasons. An examination after his death showed severe damage to his trachea (the windpipe) and other issues, suggesting that the way his neck was moved during the procedure might have caused these problems. This case highlights that serious complications like tracheal damage and pleuropneumonia can occur after such procedures in horses.
Abstract
A 3-year-old Thoroughbred colt was presented to the University Veterinary Centre Camden for evaluation of ataxia. The horse was anaesthetised to facilitate cervical radiography and myelographic examination of the spinal cord. Recovery from anaesthesia was uneventful. Five days after general anaesthesia the horse re-presented with pleuropneumonia. It was euthanased 24 hours after presentation on humane grounds. Necropsy revealed severe tracheal erosion over the middle third of the ventral surface of the trachea, pleuropneumonia and narrowing of the cervical cord between C4 and C6. It is postulated that extension and flexion of the neck during myelography resulted in movement of the endotracheal tube cuff, causing the tracheal lesion and predisposing the colt to pleuropneumonia. Severe tracheal lesions and pleuropneumonia have not been reported as sequela of equine myelography, and should be considered as possible complications following repeated cervical manipulation during myelography in the horse.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16629195/