Lung lobe torsion associated with chest wall defects in a dog

An 8-year-old, spayed, female poodle presented with exercise intolerance, lethargy, respiratory distress, retching, hyporexia and diarrhoea. Thoracic radiographs revealed increased opacity in the left cranial thoracic region. The fifth and sixth ribs appeared to be bulging cranially to caudally, and CT and surgical exploration confirmed the presence of a thoracic wall defect in that area. CT showed abrupt occlusion of the bronchus that branches into the left cranial lobe and consolidation of the caudal segment of left cranial lung lobe, which led to the diagnosis of lung lobe torsion. A thoracotomy was performed, the twisted lung lobe was surgically excised, and the defect in the thoracic wall was repaired. Respiratory distress gradually improved after the surgery, and there were no identified complications within the 2-year period following the procedure. Based on our literature search, this is the first reported case of lung lobe torsion caused by a thoracic wall defect in a dog.