Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Can X-rays diagnose both-sided laryngeal paralysis in dogs
By Touzet, Chloe et al.·Published in Veterinary radiology & ultrasound : the official journal of the American College of Veterinary Radiology and the International Veterinary Radiology Association·2023·Department of Small Animal Diagnostic Imaging, France·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Assessment of survey radiography as a method of diagnosing bilateral laryngeal paralysis in dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with breathing problems was evaluated to see if X-rays of the larynx could help diagnose bilateral laryngeal paralysis, a condition that affects their ability to breathe normally. The study found that measuring the size of the laryngeal ventricles on the X-rays could indicate whether a dog has this condition, with specific size thresholds suggesting a high likelihood of paralysis. While X-rays could be a helpful first step in screening for this issue, further tests are still needed for a definitive diagnosis.
People also search for: dog breathing problems · laryngeal paralysis diagnosis in dogs · X-ray for dog breathing issues
Abstract
The gold standard for diagnosis of laryngeal paralysis is laryngoscopy under light anesthesia. This prospective analytical cross-sectional study aimed to determine whether a radiographic assessment of the larynx could be used as a non-invasive screening tool for diagnosing laryngeal paralysis in non-sedated animals, as the laryngeal ventricles may appear wider in affected animals. The laryngeal ventricles of 18 dogs with bilateral laryngeal paralysis composing the affected group and 25 non-sedated dogs presenting no respiratory abnormality composing the control group were evaluated using right lateral radiography of the larynx. Three observers measured the ratios of the maximal ventricular length and surface to the body length of the third cervical vertebra (MVL/LC3 and VS/LC3, respectively). They also subjectively assessed the ventricular shape as either normal or rounded. The most accurate criterion was found to be MVL/LC3, as the respective areas under the ROC curves were 0.96 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.95-0.97), 0.89 (95% CI: 0.87-0.91), 0.80 (95% CI: 0.65-0.95) for MVL/LC3, VS/LC3, and ventricular shape evaluation, respectively. Based on ROC curve analysis, two thresholds of clinical interest were set for the MVL/LC3; bilateral laryngeal paralysis was very unlikely for values < 0.3 and very likely for values > 0.5. The findings of this study support the use of lateral laryngeal radiography as a screening tool for diagnosing bilateral laryngeal paralysis. However, further diagnostic tests remain required if MVL/LC3 lies between these threshold values or if clinically indicated. Further studies are warranted to explore the use of laryngeal radiography in unilateral paralysis and other laryngeal or oropharyngeal diseases.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36458646/