Three equine cases (a mare and 2 stallions) suffering from different degrees of subcutaneous (SC) emphysema were admitted to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital from July 2009 to August 2010. The common clinical signs included rapid respiration, dyspnea, stiffness and reluctance to move. Palpation revealed that the swelling was soft, painless, and crepitant. Clinical examination of the affected animals revealed the presence of internal wounds due to tracheal perforation in case 1 and external wound at the axillary and neck regions in cases 2 and 3, respectively. Ultrasonographic examination demonstrated the place of the tracheal perforation in case 1 and the SC infiltration of gas in cases 2 and 3. Hematological examination revealed leucocytosis, neutrophilia and lymphocytopenia in the mare affected with tracheal perforation, but no changes found in the other cases. Cases no 2 and 3 were resolved within 7-10 days after daily intramuscular administration of penicillin (20,000 iu/kg BW) and a single prophylactic dose (3000 iu/animal) of anti-tetanic serum. However, the mare affected with tracheal perforation required, in addition to the medicinal treatment, multiple skin incisions at different body areas to squeeze out the SC air and recovery extended to day 21. It was concluded that SC emphysema could occur in equine secondary to obvious external wounds or internal invisible wounds. The SC emphysema was successfully treated by medicinal and surgical intervention to avoid the fatal complications (pneumothorax and pulmonary emphysema). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first record of SC emphysema with different etiology. |
