Diseases of the nasal cavity in the dog. Aetiology, symptomatology, diagnostics.

A system of intravital differential diagnostics of diseases of the nasal ca vity was verified in 40 dogs. Patients were induced to analgosedation by a combination of medetomidine and butorphanol for the purpose of taking radio graphs of the nasal cavity. In order to obtain samples for cytology and his tological examination, patients were induced by propofol and then kept unde r inhalation anaesthesia using halothane or isoflurane. A rigid endoscope ( Hopkins, diameter 2.7 mm, 18 cm) was used to examine the nasal cavity thoro ughly. Tissue specimens from areas of damaged mucosa and inner structures o f the nasal cavity were under endoscopic guidance sampled using bioptic for ceps. One part of samples was used to make impression smears for cytologica l evaluation; the other part for histological processing. In patients suffe ring from chronic infectious rhinitis and neoplasia we found in both groups marked and advanced changes in the internal architecture of the nasal cavi ty (aggressive lesions). In several cases of mycotic rhinitis caused by fun gi of the Aspergillus genes we observed typical pale plaques. Foreign bodie s, mainly such as awns and parts of grass spikes, were mechanically removed using endoscopic forceps. Granulomas had a tendency to profuse bleeding. T here were no serious cases of severe bleeding during examination. Results o f bacteriological cultivation were compared to those obtained by cytology a nd histology. In 40 of these combined examinations there were in 16 cases ( 40%) confirmed bacterial rhinitis cases without the presence of fungi and c hanges typical of neoplastic processes. Staphylococcus intermedius. Strepto coccus canis and Pasteurella canis were cultured most frequently. Other bac terial agents were diagnosed only exceptionally. Mycotic infections were fo und in 7 cases of chronic rhinitis (i.e., 17.5%). The genus Aspergillus amo unted to more than 85% of mycotic agent detection. Fungi occurred as a comp lication to a foreign body in the nasal cavity in two cases. There were no cases of allergic rhinitis in the group of patients studied. Malignant neop lasia were prevailing (77.8%). Osteosarcoma. lymphosarcoma and adenocarcino ma were frequent neoplasia found in the nasal cavity of the dog.