title: Histological and ultrastructural evidence that recurrent laryngeal neuropathy is a bilateral mononeuropathy limited to recurrent laryngeal nerves.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recurrent laryngeal neuropathy (RLN) is a common and debilitating peripheral nerve disease of horses, but it remains unclear if this disease is a mono- or polyneuropathy. An understanding of the distribution of the neuropathological lesions in RLN affected horses is fundamental to studying the aetiology of this very significant disease of tall horses.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether RLN should be classified as a mono- or polyneuropathy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Multiple long peripheral nerves and their innervated muscles were examined systematically in 3 clinically affected RLN horses
  
  
  RESULTS
  Severe lesions were evident in the left as well as right recurrent laryngeal nerves in all horses, both distally and, in one case, also proximally. No primary axonal lesions were evident in other nerves nor were changes found in their innervated muscles.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  RLN is not a polyneuropathy but should be classified as a bilateral mononeuropathy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Genetic and local factors specifically affecting the recurrent laryngeal nerves in RLN-affected horses should now be investigated further.
authors.affiliation: Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Midlothian EH259RG, UK.
authors.forename: C N
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Hahn
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Matiasek
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Dixon
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Molony
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rodenacker
authors.forename: I G
authors.initials: IG
authors.lastname: Mayhew
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D006736:Horses; D008297:Male; D020422:Mononeuropathies / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D011115:Polyneuropathies / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D012008:Recurrence; D012009:Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D012135:Respiratory Sounds / Q000662:veterinary; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014826:Vocal Cord Paralysis / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*