Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
CT scans help find lung holes from grass awns in dogs
By Baudin Tréhiou, Clément et al.·Published in Veterinary radiology & ultrasound : the official journal of the American College of Veterinary Radiology and the International Veterinary Radiology Association·2020·Centre Hospitalier Vé, France·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: CT is helpful for the detection and presurgical planning of lung perforation in dogs with spontaneous pneumothorax induced by grass awn migration: 22 cases.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 5-year-old mixed-breed dog was brought in with breathing problems due to a spontaneous pneumothorax, which is when air leaks into the chest cavity. The vet used a CT scan to identify a lung perforation caused by a grass awn, a type of sharp grass seed that can migrate into the body. The CT results helped the surgeon locate the exact site of the perforation, leading to successful surgery. After the procedure, the dog recovered well and was able to breathe normally again.
People also search for: dog breathing problems · grass awn lung perforation · CT scan for dog pneumothorax · dog surgery recovery time
Abstract
Spontaneous pneumothorax induced by grass awns accounts for 5% of spontaneous pneumothorax and 22.5% of thoracic grass awn cases. Previous studies report limited interest of CT for spontaneous pneumothorax. Aims of this retrospective case series were to describe CT features of this condition and determine if CT features can efficiently localize the perforation site. Dogs that had a spontaneous pneumothorax, CT examination, thoracic surgery, and confirmed lung perforation due to a grass awn were included. Computed tomography studies were reviewed and compared to the surgical findings.  In 19 of 22 (86.4%) dogs, the pneumothorax or its recurrence were ipsilateral to the perforation site. The perforation site was identified in 21 of 22 (95.5%) dogs and involved the caudal lobes in 20 of 22 (90.9%) cases. The lateralization and the involved lung lobe corresponded to surgical findings in 21 of 22(95.5%) dogs. The perforation site was characterized as a soft tissue attenuating focus lying against an extensive pleural thickening in 21 of 22(95.5%) dogs. An adjacent defect in the visceral pleura was seen in 13 of 22(59.1%) dogs. A grass awn was seen in 11 of 22(50%) dogs.  The pneumothorax distribution and grass awn position consistently indicated the perforation side in this sample of dogs. The comparison with surgical findings suggests CT might be helpful for future presurgical planning of this etiology for pneumothorax.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31829482/