10 year old Terrier Mix

by Allison Zwingenberger on July 21, 2011

Today’s case is a 10 year old male neutered Terrier mix with a choking episode two days ago. Take a look and post your comments below.

lateral thorax

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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }

RadioCiti July 21, 2011 at 7:24 am

Diffuse moderate distention of aesophagus with tacheal stripe sign.
In VD projection there is an increased radiopacity (alveolar pattern) of the right middle lung lobe without apparent loss of volume compatible with consolidation. I can’t clearlly distinguish the primary bronchus of the lobe perhaps because it is fluid filled (?). No pleural effusion.
Mineral radiopacity is visible on Lateral views superimposed to the liver compatible with gallbledder stones.
D.D: Megaesophagus
Bronchopneumonia (ab ingestis; F.B.); Hemorrage; primary lung tumor; lobar atelectasia due to airway obstrution.

Next diagnostic step: ultrasonography performed throught an intercostal window or CT.

julien July 21, 2011 at 12:27 pm

We can see a dilated gas filled eosophagus and the visualisation of longus colli muscles, tracheal stripe sign and margins of oesophagus on lateral and ventrodorsal radiographs. This suggest a generalized megaeosophagus.
There is also an alveolar opacification of the right middle lung lobe.
The most probably diagnosis is an aspiration pneumonia (choking episode) secondary to the megaeosophagus.
It is necessary to search cause of the megaesophagus (myasthenia gravis, addison’s disease, polymyositis, hypothyroidism, idiopathic …)

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