Tracheobronchoscopic, cytological and microbiological results of tracheal and bronchial collapse in dogs

The aim of this study was to evaluate the tracheobronchoscopic, cytological and microbiological results of tracheal and bronchial collapse in dogs. In total, 8 dogs were included in the study. Clinically, tracheal palpations of the dogs were reflective of tracheal disease, and all dogs coughed on tracheal palpation. Vital parameters and hematological values of the dogs were within the normal ranges. Radiological views of the respiratory tracts and thorax were largely normal, but distinctive tracheal contours were noted in cases 3 and 6. Tracheobronchoscopy was performed under general anesthesia, and endoscopic findings (mucosal surfaces and color, prominent appearance of vessels, chondral ring abnormalities of the trachea, and the presence of bronchial and tracheal collapse) were scored. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was performed to collect samples for cytological and microbiological analysis. Five cases had tracheal collapse, and two cases had right bronchial collapse. Concurrent tracheal and right bronchial collapse were diagnosed in one case. Cytological results were not indicative of inflammation or infection, but Escherichia coli was isolated from case 2 (bronchial collapse) and case 3 (tracheal collapse). Antibiotic susceptibility results revealed that the organisms were susceptible to sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim. Statistically, there were no significant differences between the cases in terms of total endoscopic scores. In conclusion, tracheal and/or bronchial collapse should only be diagnosed by tracheobronchoscopic examination. Cytological and microbiological analyses of the BAL fluid in these cases do not always provide valuable data for clinical practitioners.