Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Staphylectomy for treatment of dorsal displacement of the soft palate in two foals.
- Journal:
- Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
- Year:
- 1989
- Authors:
- Shappell, K K et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences · United States
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
Two young foals were found to have a condition called dorsal displacement of the soft palate, which means the soft part at the back of their mouths was not in the right position. This issue caused them to have trouble swallowing and led to a lung infection from inhaling food or liquid. The problem seemed to be something they were born with. After a surgical procedure called staphylectomy, which corrected the position of the soft palate, the foals' symptoms improved. Overall, the treatment was successful in resolving their issues.
Abstract
Dorsal displacement of the soft palate associated with dysphagia and aspiration pneumonia was diagnosed in 2 young foals. The displacement appeared to be congenital. Clinical signs associated with the condition were resolved after staphylectomy. Dorsal displacement of the soft palate is usually recognized in adult animals as an upper respiratory tract disease, but may be a contributing factor to dysphagia and lower respiratory tract disease in young animals.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2584104/