title: Canine oesophageal diseases
Creators: name: Jardim Gomes, Bárbara Andreia
Publisher: name: University of Glasgow
Year: 2019
Subjects: subject: Oesophagus, canine, brachycephalic dogs, ultrasonography, radiology, computed tomography, fluoroscopy.

description: Oesophageal diseases in the dog can be challenging to diagnose. Multiple diagnostic imaging modalities are necessary for the assessment of the canine oesophagus. This study was divided into prospective and retrospective parts. The purpose of the prospective study was to determine whether conventional transcutaneous ultrasonography can be used to evaluate the canine cervical oesophagus and describe the sonographic appearance and measurements in normal dogs and those with clinical signs associated with the oesophagus. Seven canine cadavers, ten healthy staff owned dogs and eleven client owned dogs with vomiting and regurgitation were examined using a 14MHz transducer. Transcutaneous ultrasonography of the cervical oesophagus was performed using a left lateral approach. Ultrasonography allowed visualization of the entire cervical oesophagus. Four or six sonographic layers were identified which corresponded with histology. An additional thin hyperechoic layer was present within the muscular layer in some dogs which corresponded to fibrous tissue located between the inner circular and outer longitudinal muscle layers. Mean ultrasonographic wall thickness for normal dogs 2.7 ± 1 mm and was significantly correlated with weight in the live dogs (P&lt;0.05). No sonographic abnormalities were identified in the clinical cases. The purpose of the retrospective study was to document the occurrence of oesophageal abnormalities in brachycephalic dogs using multiple diagnostic imaging modalities (radiography, fluoroscopy, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging). Record the incidence of oesophageal redundancy in brachycephalic breeds with or without oesophageal disease. Hospital records between November 2009 to December 2016 identified fifty-one brachycephalic dogs with oesophageal abnormalities. Megaoesophagus was the most prevalent oesophageal abnormality in the brachycephalic breeds. Hiatal hernia, oesophageal dysmotility and GOR were the most prevalent oesophageal diseases in dogs with BOAS and megaoesophagus, dysmotility and hiatal herniation in dogs without BOAS. The occurrence of BOAS was highest for English bulldogs, followed by French bulldogs and Pugs, however there was no significant correlation between the presence or absence of BOAS in dogs with oesophageal abnormalities. There was no significant correlation between breed, weight, sex and clinical signs or oesophageal abnormalities present. Oesophageal redundancy incidence was low in the brachycephalic dogs in this study with and without concomitant oesophageal disease. These studies suggest that multiple diagnostic imaging modalities can be used to evaluate the oesophagus. However, further studies are warranted with a larger study sample to expand the clinical use of transcutaneous ultrasonography in dogs with oesophagitis and to determine the prevalence of oesophageal abnormalities in brachycephalic breeds with statistical significance.