Pericardial flap to repair a pulmonary laceration in a cat with pyothorax

A 2-year-old female neutered domestic shorthair cat was presented for investigation of acute onset tachypnoea and dyspnoea. Pyothorax was diagnosed based on thoracic radiographs and fluid analysis. Medical treatment consisted of bilateral thoracostomy tube placement, antibiotic therapy and thoracic lavage. After 12 days of medical management infection was still present, warranting exploratory thoracotomy. At surgery, encapsulated abscesses were found in the left lung, right cranial and right middle lobes. The right caudal lobe was the only macroscopically non-abscessated lobe, and appeared to have a parenchymal laceration 8 mm long over the dorsolateral surface. Following partial pericardiectomy, mediastinectomy and debridement of abscesses, a pericardial flap was reflected caudolaterally and apposed over the laceration to seal the affected lung lobe. This flap was sutured to a rim of fibrinous adhesion that was partially covering this lobe. After 8 days the cat was discharged with antibiotic therapy for 3 more weeks. Follow-up assessment at 19 and 38 weeks postoperatively confirmed the cat to have good exercise tolerance. Thoracic radiographs at 19 weeks revealed good bilateral aeration of the pulmonary parenchyma without pleural effusion.

Lung lobe laceration can be treated by lung lobectomy or direct suturing of the lung parenchyma. This is the first report using a pericardial flap to repair a lung laceration. Pericardial flap was successfully used to treat this lung laceration where lobectomy was contraindicated. Encouraging results were present at 8 months postoperatively.