Megaoesophagus, aganglionosis and laryngeal paraplegia in a Friesian foal

Abstract

Megaoesophagus, aganglionosis and laryngeal paraplegia in a Friesian foalA 4 month old Friesian colt with severe dyspnoea was admitted after an oesophageal impaction to the Clinic for Horses of the University of Veterinary Medicine, Hannover. The foal suffered from severe cardiovascular depression and bronchopneumonia. It improved under intensive therapy, but it showed a remaining dyspnoea and onsetting nasal stridores. The endoscopic examination revealed a complete laryngeal collapse during inspiration and there was motordysfunction of the oesophagus. To achieve a functional improvement a laryngoplastic was performed on both sides. The foal was discharged from the clinic 14 days post surgery under lung treatment and a special feeding regime. It was admitted to the clinic again six weeks after, it had been found with an oesophageal impaction again. Despite intensive therapy the foal had to be destroyed because of a severe aspiration pneumonia. The pathohistologic examination revealed a megaoesophagus due to an aganglionosis of the oesophageus, which is frequently described in the Friesian horse. There may be an anatomical correlation to the laryngeal paraplegia.

Primary esophageal obstruction in nursing foals – a retrospective analysis of 20 patients: clinical presentation, disease course and complications

“…Der idiopathisch angeborene Megaösophagus ist eine funktionelle Störung des Ösophagus, welche prädisponierend beim Friesen beschrieben wurde. Auch können nervale Fehlfunktionen (Achalasien, Aganglionose) zu der Entstehung eines Megaösophagus führen (Murray et al 1988, Broekman und Kuiper 2002, Barton et al 2009, Velde et al 2011. Odynophagie (schmerzhaftes Schlucken), wiederholtes Verdrehen und Strekken des Halses oder Kolik wurden beschrieben als klinische Symptome einer Ösophagusverstopfung beim Saugfohlen (Knottenbelt et al 2007).…”

Clinicopathologic evaluation of congenital idiopathic megaesophagus in a Gordon Setter puppy: a case report and development and application of peripherin immunohistochemistry for detection of ganglion cells

“…In a study of a German Shepherd puppy, complete aganglionosis was associated with congenital esophageal achalasia, 5 and similar observations were found in a Friesian foal with megaesophagus. 2 Interestingly, in another study of megaesophagus in Friesian foals, the esophageal dilation was associated with marked caudal esophageal smooth muscle hypertrophy, but with no signs of myenteric plexus involvement, suggesting the presence of different pathogenic pathways for the development of the morphologic phenotype in Friesians. 9 Ganglionic cell loss has also been reported in association with megaesophagus in Rassf1a -null mice and a colony of transgenic rats, emphasizing their use as models of human achalasia.…”