Massimo Santella

Primary tracheal neoplasia is uncommon in domestic animals and humans, and most reported tracheal tumours are malignant. To the authors’ knowledge, this case represents the third confirmed case of tracheal leiomyoma reported in dogs. In human medicine, tracheal leiomyomas have also only been reported sporadically and account for approximately 1% of tracheal tumours. A 12-year-old spayed female Pit Bull was presented as an emergency because of an acute worsening of recurrent respiratory signs that were refractory to medical treatment. On initial evaluation, reduced mobility of both arytenoid cartilages was observed, and left arytenoid lateralisation was therefore performed. However, four days after the procedure, the dog continued to experience severe episodes of respiratory distress requiring orotracheal intubation. Subsequent bronchoscopy revealed an intraluminal tracheal mass occupying approximately 90% of the airway lumen. Because of this obstruction, an emergency temporary tracheostomy was performed caudal to the mass. Once the dog had been clinically stabilised, computed tomography was performed for surgical planning. Surgical treatment consisted of segmental tracheal resection and end-to-end anastomosis, with removal of a segment corresponding to 24% of the total tracheal length. Histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of tracheal leiomyoma. Complete surgical excision was achieved, supporting a favourable prognosis.

Primary tracheal neoplasia is uncommon in domestic animals and humans, and most reported tracheal tumors are malignant. To the authors’ knowledge, this case represents the third confirmed tracheal leiomyoma reported in dogs. Similarly, in human medicine, tracheal leiomyomas have only been reported sporadically and account for approximately 1% of tracheal tumors. A 12-year-old spayed female Pitbull was presented as an emergency because of worsening recurrent respiratory signs that were refractory to medical treatment. On initial evaluation, reduced mobility of both arytenoid cartilages was observed, and left arytenoid lateralization was therefore performed. However, the patient continued to experience severe episodes of respiratory distress requiring orotracheal intubation. Subsequent bronchoscopy revealed an intraluminal tracheal mass partially obstructing the airway lumen. Because of this obstruction, an emergency temporary tracheostomy was performed caudal to the mass. Once the patient was clinically stabilized, computed tomography was performed to complete surgical planning. Surgical treatment consisted of segmental tracheal resection and end-to-end anastomosis, with removal of 24% of the total tracheal length. Histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of tracheal leiomyoma. Complete surgical excision was achieved, supporting a favorable prognosis.

This study aims to evaluate the effect of the transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block on the blood cells and the inflammatory markers neutrophil– to– lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet– to– lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and systemic immune– inflammation index (SII) after the laparoscopic ovariectomy (LapOV) in dogs. 72 healthy bitches undergoing LapOV were randomly allocated to the no– TAP group of dogs under inhaled anesthesia (IA), the TAP– S group (IA and TAP with saline), and the TAP– B group (IA and TAP with bupivacaine). The NLR, PLR, and SII were calculated 1 h before ovariectomy (T0) and at 2−3 h (T1), 6−8 h (T2), and 20−24 h (T3) post– surgery. The number of dogs requiring postoperative analgesic rescue with buprenorphine and the doses administered in each group were recorded. Significant changes were observed in all groups’ postoperative NLR, PLR, and SII over time. Between groups, no differences were observed in any of the ratios at any control point (NLR at T0−T3:p = 0.17, 0.36, 0.80, and 0.95; PLR at T0−T3:p = 0.70, 0.62, 0.21, 0.87; SII at T0−T3:p = 0.29, 0.65, 0.09, and 0.34). A significantly lower number of dogs required analgesic rescue in the TAP-B group (p = 0.0001) and a lower number of doses were administered (p = 0.001). There is no difference in the inflammatory response measured through the complete blood– derived inflammatory markers after the LapOV in dogs when the postoperative pain is managed entirely with opioids or with the TAP block with bupivacaine. The hydrodissection associated with the TAP block technique does not increase the inflammatory response.

The transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block causes desensitization of the abdominal wall and peritoneum. Of all the approaches proposed to perform it, the two-injection-point TAP showed the best results in terms of the area reached by the anesthetic solution. However, to date, no clinical data exist. The aim of this study was to evaluate the intra- and postoperative analgesic efficacy of a two-injection-point TAP block in dogs undergoing laparoscopic ovariectomy. A total of 26 animals were assigned to receive general inhalation anesthesia (control group), and 26 dogs were assigned to general inhalation anesthesia combined with TAP block (TAP group). The ultrasound-guided TAP block was carried out with a subcostal and cranial-to-ilium injection per hemiabdomen. The end-tidal concentration of isoflurane (EtISO) was recorded at different moments during the surgery. Postoperative pain was assessed at different time points during the first 24 h after surgery. The control group required significantly higher EtISO concentration during the ovarian resection and showed higher postoperative pain scores than the TAP group. Fewer dogs in the TAP group required intra- or postoperative rescue analgesia. TAP block can be implemented to improve postoperative pain management after laparoscopy, reducing the dosage of the systemic drugs used and, hence, their possible side effects.

Elastography is a sonographic technique that provides a noninvasive evaluation of the stiffness of a lesion. The objective of this work was to evaluate the accuracy of strain elastography, the most accessible modality in clinical practice, to discriminate between different histological types of malignant mammary neoplasms in the canine species, which can provide complementary information in real time to the diagnosis and thus help in the choice of surgical technique. A total of 34 females with 56 mammary carcinomas were selected and classified into three histological groups according to their aggressiveness. The histological and elastographic characteristics of these malignant tumors were analyzed and compared to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of strain elastography. Visual score presented a sensitivity of 88.0%, specificity of 58.1%, and accuracy of 71.43% in distinguishing the most aggressive group of carcinomas. The strain ratio had a sensitivity of 84.0%, specificity of 61.1%, and accuracy of 69.64%. On the other hand, intratumoral strain ratio obtained a sensitivity of 71.40% and specificity of 61.90% when intratumoral fibrosis was taken as reference, with an accuracy of 66.07%. Similarly, peritumoral strain ratio was also positively related to fibrosis in the periphery of lesions (p ≤ 0.001), with a sensitivity of 93.80%, specificity of 77.50% and an accuracy of 92.87%. In conclusion, accuracy of this elastographic modality can be a useful method to differentiate more aggressive histological types. Therefore, it represents an additional diagnostic technique useful in the daily clinic thanks to the short time required for the examination, which allows real-time visualization and immediate interpretation of the results.

Orotracheal intubation in dogs is a common and easily-performed procedure that provides a patent airway during anaesthesia. In dogs with temporomandibular joint ankylosis or pseudo-ankylosis, airway management can be a challenging procedure since these dogs have a limited ability to open their mouth. Methods to provide safe, uneventful intubation in such patients may include minimally invasive techniques such as retrograde intubation using a guide wire and fibre-optic-aided laryngoscopy. We report a case of a 16-month-old, intact female Bull Terrier weighing 17 kg, admitted to the hospital for surgical treatment of bilateral ankylosis of the temporomandibular joint. Intubation was achieved, without direct observation of the larynx, by retrograde intubation using a vascular access catheter and a vascular wire guide through cricothyroid membrane. Bilateral condylectomy was performed and the dog recovered uneventfully. In conclusion, retrograde intubation was relatively simple to perform with the guide wire technique and no specific training or equipment were necessary.

Cerebral coenurosis is a disease of the central nervous system in sheep and goats, and is usually fatal unless surgical relief is provided. Information regarding neuroanaesthesia in veterinary medicine in goats is scant. We describe anaesthetic management of an intact female goat (2 years; 16 kg) presented for craniectomy. The goat was sedated with xylazine (0.05 mg kg⁻¹, i.m.) and morphine (0.05 mg kg⁻¹, i.m.). General anaesthesia was induced 20 min later with propofol and maintained with a constant rate infusion of propofol (0.2 mg kg⁻¹ min⁻¹). A cuffed endotracheal tube was placed and connected to a rebreathing (circle) system and mechanical ventilation with 100% oxygen was initiated. A bolus of lidocaine (1 mg kg⁻¹), midazolam (0.25 mg kg⁻¹) and fentanyl 2.5 μg kg⁻¹ was delivered via the intravenous route followed immediately by a constant rate infusion of lidocaine (50 μg kg⁻¹ min⁻¹), midazolam (0.15 mg kg⁻¹ h⁻¹) and fentanyl (6 μg kg⁻¹ h⁻¹) administered via the intravenous route throughout surgery. Craniectomy was undertaken and the goat recovered uneventfully. Total intravenous anaesthesia with propofol, lidocaine, fentanyl and midazolam could be an acceptable option for anaesthesia during intracranial surgery in goats.