Aetiology and diagnosis of persistent nasal disease in the dog: a retrospective study of 42 cases

• Published in: Journal of small animal practice Vol. 40; no. 10; pp. 473 - 478
• Main Authors: Tasker, S, Knottenbelt, C.M, Munro, E.A.C, Stonehewer, J, Simpson, J.W, Mackin, A.J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.10.1999
• Subjects: Adenocarcinoma - diagnosis; Adenocarcinoma - veterinary; Animals; aspergillosis; Aspergillosis - diagnosis; Aspergillosis - veterinary; biopsy; breed differences; cell culture; Chondrosarcoma - diagnosis; Chondrosarcoma - veterinary; Chronic Disease; clinical aspects; Diagnosis, Differential; disease diagnosis; Dog Diseases - diagnosis; Dog Diseases - diagnostic imaging; Dog Diseases - etiology; Dogs; endoscopy; etiology; foreign bodies; Foreign Bodies - diagnosis; Foreign Bodies - veterinary; gender differences; incidence; neoplasms; Nose Diseases - diagnosis; Nose Diseases - etiology; Nose Diseases - veterinary; Nose Neoplasms - diagnosis; Nose Neoplasms - veterinary; periodontal diseases; Radiography; respiratory tract diseases; Retrospective Studies; rhinitis; Rhinitis - diagnosis; Rhinitis - veterinary; Sensitivity and Specificity; Tooth Diseases - diagnosis; Tooth Diseases - veterinary
• ISSN: 0022-4510; 1748-5827
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1748-5827.1999.tb02998.x

Forty‐two dogs with a history of persistent nasal disease were evaluated by a combination of clinical examination, thoracic and nasal radiography, retroflexed endoscopy and biopsy, and anterograde rhinoscopy and blind nasal biopsy. A definitive diagnosis was made in 91 per cent of cases. Neoplasia was the most common diagnosis (33 per cent of cases), followed by inflammatory rhinitis (24 per cent). Other diagnoses included periodontal disease (10 per cent), aspergillosis (7 per cent) and foreign bodies (7 per cent). Adenocarcinoma was the most common tumour diagnosed. The clinical findings were found to be too variable to be used as specific diagnostic criteria. Anterograde rhinoscopy and retroflexed endoscopy had higher specificity and sensitivity than radiology for the diagnosis of neoplasia, inflammatory rhinitis, aspergillosis and foreign bodies. With a systematic approach to the investigation of persistent nasal disease, a definitive diagnosis can be successfully obtained in the vast majority of cases.