Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Pulmonary hypertension and other diseases in dogs with bronchomalacia
By Gamracy, Jennifer et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2022·Department of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Clinicopathologic features, comorbid diseases, and prevalence of pulmonary hypertension in dogs with bronchomalacia.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with breathing problems was evaluated for a condition called bronchomalacia, which is when the airways collapse. Many of these dogs were older and smaller, and they often had other heart or lung issues. The study found that nearly half of the dogs had bronchomalacia, and those with this condition were more likely to also have pulmonary hypertension (high blood pressure in the lungs). It’s important for veterinarians to check for pulmonary hypertension in dogs diagnosed with bronchomalacia, as this can help guide treatment options.
People also search for: dog breathing problems · bronchomalacia in dogs · pulmonary hypertension treatment in dogs
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Reports of clinicopathologic features of bronchomalacia (BM) differ because of inconsistent definitions and frequent prevalence of comorbid cardiopulmonary disease. Pulmonary hypertension (PH) secondary to BM is poorly described. OBJECTIVES: Dogs with BM will be older but of any somatotype, and increased expiratory effort, ≥1 comorbid disease, and PH will be more common than in dogs without BM. ANIMALS: Client-owned dogs (n = 210) evaluated for respiratory signs. METHODS: Medical records of dogs with paired inspiratory: expiratory-breath-hold computed tomography, tracheobronchoscopy, or both between January 2016 and December 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. Comparisons between dogs with and without BM using Mann-Whitney rank sum or χtests (P < .05 significant were made). Because of high numbers of variables, criteria with high prevalence (>25%) were identified (n = 10) for univariate analysis (P < .005 significant). Significant variables were submitted for multivariate analysis. RESULTS: Bronchomalacia was identified in 41% of dogs of all sizes/somatotypes; 38% were >10 kg. All dogs with BM had ≥1 comorbid cardiopulmonary disorder. Dogs with BM were significantly older (P < .001), smaller (P < .001), and were more likely diagnosed with tracheal or mainstem bronchial collapse (P < .001) or bronchiectasis (P < .001). Multivariate analysis confirmed associations with age, tracheal or mainstem bronchial collapse, and bronchiectasis. In dogs with BM, PH was more prevalent. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Although significantly more common in older, smaller dogs, BM occurs in dogs of all sizes and in all instances with comorbidities. Echocardiography should be considered in dogs with BM to identify PH.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35129853/