Age-related thoracic radiographic changes in golden and labrador retriever muscular dystrophy.
Golden retriever and Labrador retriever muscular dystrophy are inherited progressive degenerative myopathies that are used as models of Duchenne muscular dystrophy in man. Thoracic lesions were reported to be the most consistent radiographic finding in golden retriever dogs in a study where radiographs were performed at a single-time point. Muscular dystrophy worsens clinically over time and longitudinal studies in dogs are lacking. Thus our goal was to describe the thoracic abnormalities of golden retriever and Labrador retriever dogs, to determine the timing of first expression and their evolution with time. To this purpose, we retrospectively reviewed 390 monthly radiographic studies of 38 golden retrievers and six Labrador retrievers with muscular dystrophy. The same thoracic lesions were found in both golden and Labrador retrievers. They included, in decreasing frequency, flattened and/or scalloped diaphragmatic shape (43/44), pulmonary hyperinflation (34/44), hiatal hernia (34/44), cranial pectus excavatum (23/44), bronchopneumonia (22/44), and megaesophagus (14/44). The last three lesions were not reported in a previous radiographic study in golden retriever dogs. In all but two dogs the thoracic changes were detected between 4 and 10 months and were persistent or worsened over time. Clinically, muscular dystrophy should be included in the differential diagnosis of dogs with a combination of these thoracic radiographic findings.
Université de Paris Est, Ecole Nationale vétérinaire d'Alfort, Maisons-Alfort, France. as.bedu@gmail.com
Anne-Sophie
AS
Bedu
Julien J
JJ
Labruyère
Jean Laurent
JL
Thibaud
Inès
I
Barthélémy
Dimitri
D
Leperlier
Jimmy H
JH
Saunders
Stéphane
S
Blot
D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D001996:Bronchopneumonia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000662:veterinary; D003964:Diaphragm / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D004285:Dogs; D004947:Esophagus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005660:Funnel Chest / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000662:veterinary; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D009137:Muscular Dystrophy, Animal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic / Q000662:veterinary*