Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Left lung underdeveloped with fused lungs in young schnauzer dog
By Lee, C M et al.·Published in The Journal of small animal practice·2014·Department of Veterinary Internal Medicine, South Korea·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Unusual congenital pulmonary anomaly with presumed left lung hypoplasia in a young dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 7-month-old male miniature schnauzer was brought to the vet for acute vomiting, not eating, and being unusually lethargic. The vet discovered that the dog had swallowed pine cones, which caused a blockage in the stomach. Further tests showed that the dog had an unusual lung condition where the left lung was underdeveloped and the right lung had grown across the midline, making them appear fused. This rare congenital issue is similar to a condition seen in humans called horseshoe lung. The dog was treated for the foreign body, but the lung anomaly is a unique finding that may require ongoing monitoring.
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Abstract
A seven-month-old, entire, male miniature schnauzer dog was referred with acute vomiting, inappetence and depression primarily as a result of a gastric foreign body (pine cones). During investigations, thoracic radiographs revealed increased volume of the right lung lobes, deviated cardiomediastinal structures and elevation of the heart from the sternum. Thoracic computed tomography revealed left cranial lung lobe hypoplasia and extension of the right cranial lung parenchyma across the midline to the left hemithorax. Branches of the right pulmonary vessels and bronchi also crossed the midline and extended to the left caudal lung lobe. These findings suggested that the right and left lungs were fused. In humans this finding is consistent with horseshoe lung, which is an uncommon congenital malformation. To the authors' knowledge, this case represents the first report of such a pulmonary anomaly in a dog.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24628409/