Three dogs affected with mediastinal emphysema mostly manifested the following clinical signs: anorexia, depression, vomiting, dyspnea, labored breathing, cyanosis, groaning, and subcutaneous emphysema. Low arterial oxygen partial pressure (PO
2) was common to the dogs. The most valuable diagnostic aid was the chest radiograph which showed clearly the mediastinal structure not normally seenon the lateral view.
Two dogs died one day after admission to the clinic. Necropsy failed to demonstrate any air-leaking site of the esophagus, trachea, or bronchi. The other dog had several areas of small subpleural pulmonary emphysema (bleb), which seemed to have developed in to the mediastial emphysema. It recovered uneventfully by thoracic mediastinotomy to induce pneumoth orax, which was treated in a conventional manner.
View full abstract