Traumatic pulmonary pseudocysts associated to pneumothorax and rib fractures in a dog

Abstract

A two-year-old, 37 kg intact mixed-breed dog was presented with lameness of the left pelvic limb after being hit by a car three days ago. The physical examination revealed tachypnoea with an abdominal restrictive respiratory pattern. Based on history of the patient and imaging findings a presumptive diagnosis of pneumothorax, rib fractures and traumatic pulmonary pseudocysts (TPP) was made. The patient was treated conservatively. One month later, thoracic radiograph showed only a pulmonary small nodule. TPPs are an uncommon complication after blunt thorax trauma but should be included in the differential diagnosis when cavitary pulmonary lesions are seen on thoracic radiograph or CT.

Trauma-Associated Pulmonary Laceration in Dogs—A Cross Sectional Study of 364 Dogs

“…Recently, it has been documented that thoracic radiography has a lower sensitivity than CT in detecting lesions related to blunt thoracic trauma in veterinary patients [ 14 ]. In the veterinary literature, CT features of pulmonary laceration in dogs have been described in a book and recently reported in single case reports [ 15 , 16 , 17 ]. Different types of lung laceration have been described using CT in people, according to the mechanism of injury (compression rupture, compression shear, rib penetration tear, or adhesion tear), CT pattern, and location within the lung [ 5 ].…”

Traumatic Pulmonary Pseudocysts in a Young Dog Following Non-penetrating Blunt Thoracic Trauma

“…A recent case report describing pseudocyst formation was published by Barge et al (5). The case report describes a young dog presenting to the ICU 3 days post road traffic accident.…”

“…This is important as cysts without epithelial lining are easily absorbed and considered more benign (6). In veterinary literature the terms traumatic bullae, pulmonary pneumatocele and hemopneumatocele have been used (5, 12, 17).…”

“…In the previously published veterinary case report, the dog was also a young adult and evidence of TPP was seen on initial thoracic radiographs at admit. This finding was assumed secondary to the patient presenting 3 days post HBC (5). In the dog reported in this study, lesions were identified on initial radiographs performed at admission.…”

“…TPPs were first reported by Fallon (4) and have since been reported in human literature in the form of case reports, case studies, and retrospective studies. To the author's knowledge, TPPs secondary to thoracic trauma have rarely been reported in veterinary literature (5). A study by Simpson et al characterizing the injuries in canine patients following blunt trauma, documented traumatic pulmonary pseudocyst formation in 2% of that patient population.…”