Hawkins J F, Frank N, Sojka J E, Levy M
Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907-1248, USA.
J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2001 Feb 1;218(3):405-7, 361. doi: 10.2460/javma.2001.218.405.
Two horses with chronic empyema of the auditory tube diverticulum (guttural pouch) were refractory to medical treatment; empyema was bilateral in 1 horse and unilateral in the other. Both horses were treated by fistulation of the cartilage of the pharyngeal orifice by use of a neodymium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser in a noncontact manner. To maintain patency of the fistulae, indwelling catheters were placed into the openings created by the laser. For both horses, long-term follow-up did not reveal complications, and both owners were satisfied with results of the procedure. The authors recommend this procedure for horses that are unresponsive to medical treatment for chronic guttural pouch empyema.
