Observations on the potential role of oesophageal radiography in the horse

Radiological features of the oesophagus of 7 normal horses and 13 with oesophageal lesions are described. The use of barium sulphate as a contrast agent and the techniqes of its administration are discussed. It is suggested that chronic intermittent oesophageal impaction with food material was a predisposing factor in the development of a localised oesophageal dilation in 3 horses and that one other probably resulted from an injury. A similar dilatation was seen which resulted from oesophageal constriction by a vascular ring. Megaoesophagus was seen in 2 ponies associated with grass sickness and a third case had a more localised ares of dilatation in the distal thoracic oesophagus. Other abnormalities recognised included slow passage of food material through the cranial oesophagus which was seen in 3 horses; one as a sequel to a laryngoplasty operation, the second was the probable result of chronic aerophagia and the third was a congenital abnormality. Oesophagoscopy was found to be a useful adjunct to radiography in the diagnosis of oesophageal disorders in horses.

Serial endoscopic observation of swine gastroesophageal ulceration induced by injection of a histamine-oil-beeswax mixture

The gastroesophageal (GE) area of swine was endoscopically observed before and after injection of a histamine-oil-beeswax mixture (5 mg of histamine/kg of body weight). The swine were anesthetized with halothane, and a rigid endoscope was inserted through a gastric cannula placed in the proximal greater curvature of the stomach. Observation was simple and the procedure lasted less than 10 minutes, without adverse reactions. In 4 swine with normal GE areas, hemorrhage was found at postmedication hour (PMH) 3 and ulcerative changes were seen at PMH 9 to 12. A more rapid pathologic change of the GE area was found in 2 animals with hyper- or parakeratotic changes before medication. Abnormalities were found up to PMH 9 in the GE area of 2 animals in which the stomach cannula was opened to allow the escape of gastric juice.

Radiography of bovine esophageal disorders

In 16 cattle and buffalo with suspected esophageal disorders, radiographic diagnoses included cervical diverticulum, dilation, cervical or thoracic obstruction, and extraesophageal lesions. Contrast radiography was the preferred method of diagnosis except in very large animals.

Esophagogastric ulcers associated with Ascaris suum infestation in swine

When a group of 3-month-old pigs was moved to another location, several died from internal bleeding. Two pigs that were necropsied had large esophagogastric ulcers, hepatic fibrosis with "milk spots" and swollen edematous lungs. The ulcers involved the full thickness of the gastric mucosa with pronounced eosinophilic infiltration and perivascular cuffing of the submucosal vessels. There was an acute interstitial and granulomatous pneumonia with an inflammatory exudate composed mainly of eosinophils. Ascarid larvae were recovered from the lungs. Gastric ulceration could have resulted from a second exposure to Ascaris suum infestation because pigs not removed from their original location did not develop ulcers.

Esophageal deviation in four English Bulldogs

Regurgitation, vomiting, and aspiration pneumonia in 4 young male English Bulldogs were attributed to esophageal deviation that was demonstrated by esophageal radiography. A genetic relationship among these dogs was not determined. Exploratory thoractomy, performed in 2 dogs, demonstrated an apparent compression of the esophagus by the left subclavian artery and brachiocephalic artery at the level of the 2nd and 3rd intercostal spaces. This apparent compression correlated with the roentgen location of esophageal deviation. Surgical redirection of the left subclavian artery resulted in immediate and long-lasting remission of clinical signs.

Chronic cutaneous candidiasis in bottle-nosed dolphins

In a 20-month period, generalized chronic cutaneous candidiasis developed in 3 performing bottle-nosed dolphins kept in an indoor pool. Extensive esophagogastric ulcerations were observed in 2 of the dolphins, each of which died, presumably because of these lesions. The 3rd dolphin died during a surgical procedure and did not have any esophagogastric ulcerations. Candida albicans was the only organism isolated from skin lesions but was not isolated from adjacent normal skin of dolphins. Treatment with antifungal drugs was unsuccessful. Subsequently, immunopotentiating treatment with levamisole phosphate resulted in formation of granulation tissue and healing of the skin lesions.

The effect of grassmeal and alfalfa meal on daily gain, thickness of backfat and on the esophagogastric region in bacon pigs

In pigs dietary factors often are involved as causes of lesions in pars esophagea of the stomach. In experiments the primary purpose of which was to clarify the effect of grassmeal or alfalfa meal on growth, feed efficiency and carcass quality in bacon pigs, an influence of these feedstuffs on the growth rate and degree of esophagogastric lesions was detected. Pigs with these lesions had as an average a lower daily gain and less backfat than pigs without lesions.