Guttural Pouch Surgery
The guttural pouches (Auditory Tube Diverticulum ATD) are ballon-like structures formed as extended part of the auditory tube (diverticula). Are positioned dorsal to the nasopharynx and oesophagus; medial to the mandible and paratoid salivary glands. This organ is only present in horses.
The guttural pouches cannot be visualized or palpated in the normal horse. The distension of these structures may be evident in foals with guttural pouch tympany, and occasionally in horses with empyema or chondrosis and is the result of the compression of the adjacent organs.
A very distended guttural pouch may be visible externally when it protrudes caudolaterally between the angle of the mandible and larynx. External palpation helps to detect swellings produced by tympany, empyema, infection of adjacent lymph nodes. The distension could cause a partial obstruction of pharynx leading to dyspnoea or dysphagia.
Guttural pouch tympany is the distention of the guttural pouches with pressurized air and sometimes fluid accumulation. Is most commonly diagnosed in young foals.
Surgical approaches to ATD:
Hyovertebrotomy
Viborg’s Triangle
Paralaryngeal (Whitehouse) approach
Modified Whitehouse approach
References:
Tim S Mair. Equine Medicine, Surgery and Reproduction. 2nd ed. 2013
Stephen M. Reed. Equine Internal Medicine. Elsevier. 2018
Bruce C McGorum. Equine Respiratory Medicine and Surgery. Saunders Elsevier. 2007.
Merk Veterinary Manual
Guttural Pouch Disease in Horses
