Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Radiographic signs of lung lobe torsion in dogs and cats
By d'Anjou, Marc-André et al.·Published in Veterinary radiology & ultrasound : the official journal of the American College of Veterinary Radiology and the International Veterinary Radiology Association·2005·Department of Clinical Sciences, Canada·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Radiographic diagnosis of lung lobe torsion.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 10-year-old domestic shorthair cat was brought to the vet with breathing problems due to a condition called lung lobe torsion, where a part of the lung twists and cuts off blood supply. The cat showed signs of pleural effusion (fluid around the lungs) and had abnormal findings on X-rays. Treatment typically involves surgery to untwist the affected lung lobe, and while the study didn't specify outcomes for individual pets, surgery is generally necessary to resolve this serious condition.
People also search for: cat breathing problems · lung lobe torsion in cats · cat surgery for lung issues
Abstract
Clinical data, thoracic radiographs, ultrasonographic exams, and histopathologic reports in 13 dogs and two cats with confirmed lung lobe torsion were reviewed. Age of dogs ranged from 4 months to 11.5 years, (mean of 6.4 years) and several breeds of large and small dogs were represented. Right middle lobe torsion was predominant in large dogs (five of eight large breed dogs) and left cranial lobe torsion was more commonly seen in small dogs (three of five small-breed dogs). Two domestic short-hair cats, 10 and 14 years of age, had right cranial and right middle lobe torsion, respectively. Underlying thoracic disease was found in only five of 15 patients. On thoracic radiographs, increased lobar opacity and pleural effusion were found in all patients (100%). Small dispersed air bubbles were found within the affected lobe of 13 patients (87%). This pattern, which was the result of vesicular emphysema, was variably extensive, and became more evident on follow-up radiographs in five of six dogs. The lobar bronchi could be seen in only eight of 15 patients (54%), and appeared irregular, focally narrowed or blunted in six of the eight patients, and displaced in five of the eight. Other common radiographic findings included mediastinal shift (nine), curved and dorsally displaced trachea (seven), and axial rotation of the carina (seven). Ultrasonography was used in seven patients and considered generally useful, although variable signs were observed.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16396263/