Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How CT scans help tell grass seed rhinitis from other rhinitis in dogs
By Lafuma, Francois et al.·Published in Veterinary radiology & ultrasound : the official journal of the American College of Veterinary Radiology and the International Veterinary Radiology Association·2021·Imaging Department, France·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Computed tomography may be helpful in discriminating grass awn foreign body rhinitis from non-foreign body rhinitis in dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 5-year-old mixed-breed dog was brought in for nasal discharge and sneezing, which were persistent and concerning for the owner. The veterinarian suspected a foreign body in the dog's nose, possibly a grass awn, and used a CT scan to investigate further. The scan revealed signs that suggested the presence of a grass awn, even though it wasn't directly visible. After confirming the diagnosis, the vet was able to remove the grass awn, and the dog's symptoms improved significantly afterward.
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Abstract
Grass awn foreign bodies are a common cause of rhinitis in dogs.  Early detection and complete removal of these foreign bodies are important for minimizing risks of long term complications. The objective of this retrospective, descriptive cross-sectional study was to determine whether discriminating CT findings exist between dogs with grass awn foreign body rhinitis and dogs with non-foreign body rhinitis. Computed tomography scans of 47 dogs with a confirmed diagnosis of non-foreign body rhinitis (25 cases) or of a nasal grass awn foreign body (22 cases) were reviewed. In the latter group, grass seeds were visualized directly on CT images for one of 22 (5%) cases. Focal lysis was more strongly associated with the presence of a grass awn foreign body (P = .012, LR = 3.0) and widespread lysis (involving more than one-third of the nasal cavity and/or bilateral) appeared associated with non-foreign body rhinitis (P = .046, LR = 2.0). Maxillary recess filling was associated with non-foreign body rhinitis (LR = 4.4) as was widespread lysis (LR = 2.0). Findings supported prioritizing grass awn foreign body rhinitis as a differential diagnosis for dogs with the former CT characteristics, even if a grass awn cannot be directly visualized.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33987917/