Francesco Collivignarelli, Amanda Bianchi, Massimo Vignoli, Giulia Dolce, Paolo Cortelli Panini, Roberto Tamburro
Simple summary:
Laryngeal collapse is a condition characterized by the medial deviation of the
cuneiform cartilage caused by upper airway obstruction. The condition is graded in three stages: stage
III is defined as the collapse of the corniculate processes of the arytenoids and the destructuration of
the dorsal portion of the rima glottidis. The surgical treatments for this condition include unilateral
arytenoid laryngoplasty with cricoarytenoid lateralization combined with thyroarytenoid caudo-
lateralization or permanent tracheostomy. Subtotal epiglottectomy was initially described for dogs
with epiglottic retroversion. In the present study, subtotal epiglottectomy in association with the
ablation of unilateral arytenoid cartilage is proposed as an alternative treatment for 16 dogs with stage
III laryngeal collapse. The procedure aims to increase the air passage through the larynx, decrease
negative intraglottic pressure, and reduce airway resistance.
Abstract:
Stage III laryngeal collapse is defined as the collapse of the corniculate processes of the
arytenoid cartilages and the destructuration of the dorsal portion of the rima glottidis. The primary
cause is chronic upper airway obstruction, and the condition is often present in brachycephalic dogs.
The treatment is still controversial; the patients are generally treated with a permanent tracheostomy.
This article reports the authors’ experience with 16 dogs affected by stage III laryngeal collapse
treated with subtotal epiglottectomy and the ablation of unilateral arytenoid cartilage. Before the
surgery, all of the dogs underwent an effort test to classify the clinical severity of the disease and an
endoscopic examination of the airways to determine the stage of severity of the laryngeal collapse.
One month after surgery, the effort test was repeated in order to evaluate the clinical outcome. One
year after surgery, the owners of 12 patients rated their dogs as follows: excellent in five cases, good
in five cases, and fair in two cases. According to this pilot study, epiglottectomy associated with the
photoablation of unilateral arytenoid cartilage increases airway flow, and thus may be considered a
valid surgical procedure to treat dogs affected by grade III laryngeal collapse.