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Association of owner-reported noise with findings during dynamic respiratory endoscopy in Thoroughbred racehorses
S H P Witte1, T H Witte, F Harriss
1Pferdeklinik der VetSuisse Fakultät der Universität Bern, Bern, Switzerland. stefwitte@hotmail.com
Reasons For Performing Study:
To determine the association between owner-reported noise and findings during dynamic respiratory endoscopy (DRE) in a large case series.
Hypothesis:
The sensitivity of owner-reported noise for dynamic upper respiratory tract obstructions in horses is low, and the specificity is high.
Methods:
One hundred horses underwent DRE for the investigation of abnormal respiratory noise and/or poor performance. The association of abnormal noise with findings during DRE was evaluated.
Results:
Eighty-five horses underwent DRE for the investigation of abnormal respiratory noise. Of these, 82% were found to have one or more obstructive upper respiratory tract abnormalities during DRE. Forty-eight percent of horses reported to gurgle, rattle or make a rough noise were diagnosed with solitary palatal dysfunction. A further 24% with this history showed palatal dysfunction in combination with an additional abnormality. Twenty-seven percent of horses with a history of whistling or roaring showed some degree of recurrent laryngeal neuropathy. Seven percent of horses with a history of whistling or roaring had vocal cord collapse as a solitary condition, whereas 40% had vocal cord collapse and another abnormality. The sensitivity of abnormal respiratory noise for any obstruction of the upper portion of the respiratory tract was high (84%), while the specificity was low (25%). Characteristic owner reported noise patterns showed moderate to low sensitivity for specific conditions. Whistling and roaring showed the highest specificity (≥80%) for laryngeal dysfunction.
Conclusion:
Diagnosis of upper respiratory tract obstructions based solely on owner-reported noise and performance history may result in incomplete diagnoses.
Clinical Relevance:
DRE should be performed in horses with abnormal respiratory noise to rule out complex conditions of the upper portion of the respiratory tract.
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