Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Persistent dorsal displacement of the soft palate attributable to a frenulum of the epiglottis in a racing Thoroughbred.
- Journal:
- Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
- Year:
- 2007
- Authors:
- Moorman, Valerie J et al.
- Affiliation:
- College of Veterinary Medicine · United States
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A 7-year-old male Thoroughbred racehorse was having trouble exercising, making noise when breathing, and coughing while eating. After examining his throat with a camera, veterinarians found that his soft palate was being pushed back due to a small band of tissue (called a frenulum) attached to his epiglottis, which is a flap that helps cover the windpipe. They performed surgery using a laser to cut the frenulum, and the horse's throat looked normal the day after surgery. However, four weeks later, the soft palate had shifted back to its previous position. This case shows that a frenulum can cause ongoing issues with the soft palate in horses, and it's important to check the throat thoroughly before any surgery for this problem.
Abstract
CASE DESCRIPTION: A 7-year-old sexually intact male Thoroughbred racehorse was evaluated because of exercise intolerance, respiratory tract noise, and coughing when eating. CLINICAL FINDINGS: A persistent dorsal displacement of the soft palate was identified during endoscopic examination of the upper portions of the respiratory tract. Radiography of the pharyngeal and laryngeal regions revealed a hypoplastic epiglottis that was ventral to, and not in contact with, the soft palate. The horse was anesthetized, and an oral endoscopic examination revealed a subepiglottic frenulum that had resulted in the dorsal displacement of the soft palate. TREATMENT AND OUTCOME: The frenulum was transected transendoscopically by use of a diode laser. Twenty-four hours following surgery, repeat endoscopic and radiographic examinations revealed that the epiglottis had returned to its correct anatomic position in relation to the soft palate. Four weeks after surgery, endoscopy of the upper portions of the airway revealed recurrence of the dorsal displacement of the soft palate. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: A subepiglottic frenulum should be considered as a cause of persistent dorsal displacement of the soft palate in horses. An endoscopic examination of the oropharyngeal region should be performed in horses prior to undertaking any surgical interventions to treat persistent dorsal displacement of the soft palate.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17764438/