Transendoscopic Laser Ablation of Upper Respiratory Cysts in Twelve Horses 1993 - 2003

摘要

Laser logs and hospital medical records were examined to determine the number of horses presented for transendoscopic laser ablation of upper respiratory cysts. The two most common lesions were subepiglottic cysts and dorsal pharyngeal cysts. The majority of the horses presenting with these two cystic lesions were under four years of age. Two horses, six and eight years of age, were presented with maxillary sinus cyst of less than 2cm diameter as demonstrated by radiography. The two horses which presented for nasal cyst were significantly older than any others, being eighteen and twenty-five years of age. Cysts located in the nasal passage and pharynx were visible endoscopically via either of the nasal passages. In the case of the maxillary sinus cyst, trephination allowed for a visual examination and treatment. All horses were treated by transendoscopic laser ablation using either the Nd: YAG laser or the 50-watt 980nm diode laser using standing sedation. The twelve-year-old horse with the subepiglottic cyst returned, after receiving laser photoablation, for surgical resection of the deflated cyst as portions of it could still be observed on endoscopic examination. For the remainder of the horses, transendoscopic laser photoablation of the respiratory cyst proved to be a satisfactory means of treating the lesion with minimal complications.