This week’s case is a 2-year-old female neutered long-haired Chihuahua mix presented for chronic vomiting. Post your comments!
Teaching and learning about veterinary diagnostic imaging.
This week’s case is a 2-year-old female neutered long-haired Chihuahua mix presented for chronic vomiting. Post your comments!
Three projections of the thorax taken after hours are available for review. There is a heterogeneous soft tissue opacity located within the mid thoracic esophagus at the level of the heart base which measures approximately 4 cm x 1.5 cm. There is a small pocket of gas present in the esophagus immediately orad to the material. At the level of the foreign material, there is significant ventral deviation of the trachea and tracheal carina with apparent narrowing of the intraluminal diameter. No other abnormalities are appreciated.
Esophageal foreign body
Endoscopy: Dog biscuit wedged in distal esophagus. Able to pass single loop snare around the biscuit and withdraw from esophagus. Moderate erythema circumferentially around esophagus where biscuit was lodged. No other foreign material in stomach seen.
Hi Allison
Do you think the accumulating foreign material extends too far caudally over the heart base in this particular instance to raise the suspicion of a underlying partial vascular ring anomaly? I guess there is also no visible rightward deviation of the trachea in DV to support the presence of a persistent R aortic arch.
Thanks
Daniel
Dear Daniel
I agree with Allison.
PRAA shows leftward deviation of trachea on VD view. (Buchanan JW, 2004)
While normal conditions or esophageal problems show middle line location or rightward deviation of the trachea on VD view.
In addition, if the vascular ring was present, the esophageal dilation at the cranial portion of the heart would have been more pronounced than the esophageal dilation of the heart base.
The main location of the vascular ring is near the aortic arch, and the esophageal dilation by the vascular ring should be identified in the cranial portion from it.
Thank you
Hakyoung