Here is a 10-year-old male neutered Maltese Terrier with two year history of cough with excitement. What are your findings?
On radiographs, there is generalized cardiac enlargement. The trachea is elevated and is parallel to the spine. The left atrium is enlarged, causing a triangular area of soft tissue opacity on lateral radiographs and double density sign on the d/v. The vessels appear normal. There is no evidence of heart failure at this time. There is a small amount of air in the cervical and thoracic esophagus. The trachea appears normal.
A fluoroscopic study of the trachea was performed, during which the dog was induced to cough with tracheal pressure.
On fluoroscopy, the terminal portion of the trachea and both main stem bronchi collapse during coughing.
Tracheal and main stem bronchial collapse
Tracheal collapse can occur in the cervical or thoracic areas. When present in the caudal thoracic trachea, the main stem bronchi are often also involved. Fluoroscopy is usually necessary to make the diagnosis, although occasionally change in tracheal and bronchial diameter is seen on inspiratory and expiratory radiographs.