Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Muscle nerve loss in soft palate of dogs with airway blockage
By Arai, K et al.·Published in Journal of comparative pathology·2016·Laboratory of Veterinary Surgery, Japan·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Denervation-Associated Change in the Palatinus and Levator Veli Palatini Muscles of Dogs with Elongated Soft Palate.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of nine brachycephalic dogs with breathing problems due to elongated soft palates were examined during surgery. They showed signs of muscle damage in the soft palate, which may be linked to nerve issues. In particular, the palatinus muscle had areas of atrophy, meaning some muscle fibers were shrinking, while the levator veli palatini muscle had fewer changes. This suggests that the muscle problems in these dogs could be related to nerve damage affecting how the muscles work. The findings highlight the importance of addressing breathing issues in these breeds to prevent further complications.
People also search for: dog breathing problems · brachycephalic airway obstruction treatment · elongated soft palate in dogs
Abstract
Muscle lesions and decreased numbers of peripheral nerve branches have been reported in the soft palates of dogs presenting with brachycephalic airway obstruction syndrome (BAOS). Myosin adenosine triphosphatase staining was employed to investigate whether muscle lesions in the elongated soft palate (ESP) of dogs with BAOS reflect the presence of denervation. Soft palates were collected from nine brachycephalic dogs during surgical intervention for BAOS and from five healthy beagle dogs as controls. In the control soft palates, myofibres with relatively uniform diameters and a random mosaic pattern of type I and II myofibres were observed in the palatinus muscle (PM), while almost all of the myofibres in the levator veli palatini muscle (LVPM) were of type II. In the ESPs, small group atrophy, large group atrophy and angular-shaped atrophy were observed in myofibres of the PM and rarely in the LVPM. Fibre type grouping and an increase in type IIC myofibres were found only in the PM. Morphometric analysis of ESPs revealed a significant increase in the number of type I and II myofibres in the PM showing atrophy or hypertrophy compared with controls. A significant increase in atrophic type II myofibres was found in the LVPM of affected dogs. Myopathy consistent with denervation was observed in the PM, but rarely in the LVPM, of ESP specimens. The results suggest that the myopathy seen in dogs with ESP may partly reflect atrophy of myofibres resulting from damage to peripheral nerve branches, with subsequent reinnervation of myofibres.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27426002/