Abstract
BackgroundLaryngeal chondritis is a disease of undetermined aetiology, characterised by oedema, ulceration, abscessation and necrosis of the laryngeal mucosa and cartilage. The initial aim of the study was to document flock health issues identified by Irish pedigree Texel breeders using a questionnaire survey. Additionally, given the reports of breed predisposition for laryngeal chondritis in Texels, a further aim was to identify if laryngeal problems were perceived as an issue. Work was then conducted to identify if pre-clinical laryngeal mucosal pathology was identifiable in Texel sheep showing no overt clinical signs of respiratory disease and if associations existed between laryngeal measurements and laryngeal pathology.Thirty one larynges were collected from a Texel flock that previously had laryngeal chondritis diagnosed in fallen stock. Gross visual inspection was performed to identify and grade (0–5) laryngeal pathology. A series of measurements were then performed on larynges that had been formalin fixed. Associations between independent variables (larynx measurements) and the dependent variable (laryngeal pathology score) were examined.ResultsRespiratory disease was the most frequently identified health issue. Farmer-diagnosed ‘throat problems’ were reported by over 80% of respondents.Laryngeal pathology was noted in Texels showing no overt clinical signs of respiratory disease. Associations between laryngeal measurements and laryngeal pathology were identified relating to the angle between the cranial point of the cricoid cartilage and the vocal process of the arytenoid cartilage.ConclusionsMild laryngeal pathology was noted in animals with no overt clinical signs of respiratory disease. Future research should examine whether significant associations between laryngeal measurements and laryngeal pathology identified in the current study can be measured ante mortem, and whether such ante mortem measurements will allow early identification of sheep at risk of developing laryngeal chondritis.
Highlights
Laryngeal chondritis is a disease of the larynx of undetermined aetiology It is characterised by oedema, ulceration, abscessation and necrosis of the laryngeal mucosa and cartilage [5]. (Fig. 1)
Following piloting of the questionnaire by members of the expert group, a number of minor modifications improved the questionnaire prior to circulation. This included referring to laryngeal chondritis as ‘throat problems’ and using
Larynx selection Thirty one larynges were collected from a Texel flock that previously had laryngeal chondritis diagnosed in fallen stock referred by a veterinary practitioner for post mortem at Kilkenny Regional Veterinary laboratory (RVL)
Summary
Laryngeal chondritis is a disease of undetermined aetiology, characterised by oedema, ulceration, abscessation and necrosis of the laryngeal mucosa and cartilage. Given the reports of breed predisposition for laryngeal chondritis in Texels, a further aim was to identify if laryngeal problems were perceived as an issue. Across numerous species laryngeal pathology has been noted, including cattle, sheep, horses and dogs [2,3,4]. Laryngeal chondritis is a disease of the larynx of undetermined aetiology It is characterised by oedema, ulceration, abscessation and necrosis of the laryngeal mucosa and cartilage [5]. In a study of fallen stock, Waine et al, 2019, identified differences in laryngeal anatomy between Texel and Blue-faced Leicester breeds and suggests the anatomical differences could have a detrimental effect on the function of the larynx
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