Page 688 - Equine Clinical Medicine, Surgery and Reproduction, 2nd Edition

Respir atory system: 3.2 Surgical conditions of the respir atory tr act 663

VetBooks.ir 3.111 3.112

Fig. 3.111 A tracheotomy wound from a horse with Fig. 3.112 A permanent tracheotomy tube.
airway occlusion as a result of a strangles abscess.

GUTTURAL POUCH

GUTTURAL POUCH EMPYEMA of the guttural pouch. This in turn can remain as
liquid pus accumulation or the pus can inspissate.
Definition/overview Inspissated pus in the guttural pouch tends to result
This is an accumulation of purulent material within in formation of multiple rounded accumulations,
the guttural pouch. It is an uncommon condition known as chondroids (Fig. 3.113). Once the pus
but is a differential diagnosis for unilateral purulent becomes inspissated then the streptococcal infection
nasal discharge. The guttural pouch is a commonly
recognised site for colonisation by Streptococcus equi
equi (strangles) and any purulent material in this 3.113
region should be viewed as contagious and probably
strangles related, unless proven otherwise.

Aetiology/pathophysiology
The aetiology is usually a Streptococcus species upper
airway infection, which localises in the guttural
pouch either as a primary infection or secondary
to an URT viral infection or other guttural pouch
disease. The guttural pouch seems to be unable to
clear these organisms as effectively as much of the
remainder of the upper airway and, therefore, horses
can become chronic carriers or prolonged shedders Fig. 3.113 Accumulation of chondroids removed
of strangles. Sometimes the infection remains sub- surgically from a pony with guttural pouch empyema.
clinical, but it can be associated with frank empyema Culture of the chondroids revealed no significant growth.