Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
6-month-old dog with fatal lung collapse from congenital emphysema
By Gopalakrishnan, Gopakumar & Stevenson, Gregory W·Published in Journal of veterinary diagnostic investigation : official publication of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Inc·2007·Department of Comparative Pathobiology, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Congenital lobar emphysema and tension pneumothorax in a dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 6-month-old mixed breed dog was brought in after suddenly collapsing and having trouble breathing. The vet discovered that the dog had a rare lung condition called congenital lobar emphysema, which caused air to become trapped in the lungs and led to a dangerous buildup of pressure in the chest, known as tension pneumothorax. Unfortunately, despite the vet's efforts, the condition was severe and resulted in the dog's death. This case highlights how serious lung issues can sometimes occur in young dogs without any prior symptoms.
People also search for: dog breathing problems · mixed breed puppy sudden collapse · congenital lung disease in dogs
Abstract
Congenital lobar emphysema (CLE) and tension pneumothorax (TPT) are rarely reported in dogs. A case of CLE of the right middle lung lobe predisposing to air trapping, alveolar hyperinflation, and pleural rupture resulting in fatal spontaneous TPT in a 6-month-old mixed breed dog is described. The unique alteration of "bloat line" was observed in this case in addition to compressive atelectasis of all other lung lobes and lack of negative pressure within the thoracic cavity, signifying markedly elevated intrathoracic pressure. Bronchial cartilage hypoplasia and bronchiectasis were confirmed microscopically, which likely led to abnormal dynamic collapse of bronchi during expiration, consequentially leading to increased intrapulmonary pressure, bullous emphysema, and pleural rupture resulting in TPT. TPT consequent to CLE may therefore be considered one of the potential causes of sudden death in young dogs without overt clinical illness.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17459868/