GI - Esophagus

Question 1

In a bird, what organ serves as a storage space for food in the GIT?

Answer 1

Crop

Question 2

What species does esophageal hypertrophy happen in incidentally?

Answer 2

Horses & pigs

Question 3

What is esophageal hypertrophy?

Answer 3

Hypertrophy of the inner circular smooth muscle layer of the distal/aboral esophagus

Question 4

With esophageal hypertrophy, you may see concurrent aboral hypertrophy in what other organ?

Answer 4

ileum
aboral ileal hypertrophy

Question 5

Esophageal hypertrophy is usually ____, with a rare associated with an increased risk of ____.

Answer 5

Incidental
choke

Question 6

This is an esophagus of a horse. What is the pathology?

Answer 6

Esophageal hypertrophy

Question 7

Cystic esophageal glands:
Gross appearance?
What are they?
When you find these, how should you interpret them?
What species do they occur in ?

Answer 7

white or grey cysts
normal esophageal glands dilated with mucous
incidental finding, doesn’t mean it killed the animal
dogs

Question 8

This is the inner layer of a dog’s esophagus. What is the lesion?

Answer 8

Cystic esophageal glands

Question 9

What is the other name for choke?

Answer 9

Esophageal impaction

Question 10

What is choke?

Answer 10

obstruction by an esophageal foreign body

Question 11

What can choke lead to?

Answer 11

pressure necrosis of the underlying mucosa

Question 12

What is the lesion? What lead to this?

Answer 12

pressure necrosis of the esophagus
Choke

Question 13

How did this animal most likely die?
Bonus points: what animal is this?

Answer 13

Choke/esophageal obstruction
horse

Question 14

Megaesophagus is the result of ____/_____ of the esophageal muscle. It may be _____ or _____.

Answer 14

atony/weakness
segmental or diffuse

Question 15

What does megaesophagus lead to?

Answer 15

failure of peristalsis, results in regurgitation
may lead to aspiration pneumonia

Question 16

What are the two forms of megaesophagus?

Answer 16

Congenital idiopathic megaesophagus
Acquired

Question 17

In the congenital form of megaesophagus, what species/breeds are susceptible?

In dogs (yes that’s one of the species), what is the cause?

Answer 17

dogs: Great Danes, German Shepherds, Irish setters
- caused by a defect in distention sensing afferent neurone

cats: siamese

horses: Friesian

Question 18

What is the cause of the acquired form of megaesophagus?

Answer 18

secondary to systemic myasthenia gravis, lead toxicity, etc

basically it can be due to a lot of things

Question 19

What is one cause of megaesophagus (probably acquired but idk) that we’ve touched on in other lectures?

Answer 19

Persistent Right Aortic Arch (PRAA)

Question 20

This is an equine esophagus. What is the lesion?
Bonus points: what breed is this probably?

Answer 20

Megaesophagus
Friesian

Question 21

Can ulcerative viral diseases that affect the oropharynx also affect the esophagus?

Answer 21

Yes!
Dayna said this would make a good exam question, probably talking about sequelae or other symptoms other than oropharyngeal ones with ulcerative viral diseases.

Question 22

What is the esophageal parasite that we need to know?

Answer 22

Spirocerca lupi

Question 23

What species does Spirocerca lupi affect?
What climate does it like?
What is the intermediate host?

Answer 23

Canids and other carnivores
warm climates
dung beetles

Question 24

Explain the pathology of how infection with Spirocerca lupi can lead to an aortic rupture.

Answer 24

1. Animal gets infected with parasite
2. Form granulomas within the submucosa of the distal esophagus with a track leading to the esophageal lumen
3. Because part of the life cycle involves the intima of the aorta, it jumps to the aorta and invades the intima
4. Aortic rupture (rare, but it happens)

Question 25

Explain the pathology of how an infection with Spirocerca lupi can lead to sarcoma development.

Answer 25

1. Animal gets infected with parasite
2. Form granulomas within the submucosa of the distal esophagus with a track leading to the esophageal lumen
3. Sarcoma development at the site of the granuloma

Question 26

This is an esophagus. What is the lesion? What is the etiology?

Answer 26

Lesion: granulomas within the submucosa
Etiology: Spirocerca lupi parasite

Question 27

Esophageal neoplasias are relatively rare. Give me 2 reasons why they might develop.

Answer 27

1. Papillomavirus
2. Spirocera lupi