Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Foal with blocked right nostril breathing fixed by surgery
By Hogan, P M et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·1995·Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Unilateral choanal atresia in a foal.
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A 4-month-old Thoroughbred foal was having trouble breathing and couldn't exercise properly due to a blockage in the right nostril since birth. After examining the airways, vets found that the right nasal passage was completely blocked. They first tried to remove the obstruction using a laser, but scar tissue formed and blocked it again. Eventually, they performed a different surgery to remove the blockage and placed a stent to keep the passage open. However, by the time the foal was a year old, it still had some breathing issues during exercise.
People also search for: foal breathing problems · horse nasal obstruction treatment · exercise intolerance in foals
Abstract
A 4-month-old Thoroughbred foal was examined because of a history of exercise intolerance and lack of airflow from the right nostril since birth. Endoscopy of the airways revealed complete membranous obstruction of the right nasal passage at the level of the nasopharynx and marked narrowing of the caudal aspect of the right ventral meatus. Unilateral choanal atresia was diagnosed. Laser ablation of the obstructing tissues was attempted through a videoendoscope. Scar tissue occluded the right nasal passage at follow-up examination 7 weeks later. Intranasal resection, using laparoscopic instruments, was then performed, and a nasal stent was maintained for 2 weeks after surgery. At 1 year of age, the foal was reported to have decreased airflow from the right nares and excessive respiratory noise during exercise. Atresia of the choanae in horses usually is bilateral and, therefore, life-threatening and detectable at birth. Unilateral choanal atresia may not be suspected until later, but should be considered in horses with decreased or no airflow from 1 naris.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7591948/