Asthmatic Disease as an Underlying Cause of Dorsal Displacement of the Soft Palate in Horses.
Authors: Joó Kinga, Povázsai Ágnes, Nyerges-Bohák Zsófia, Szenci Ottó, Kutasi Orsolya
Journal: Journal of equine veterinary science
Summary
# Editorial Summary Respiratory clinicians have long recognised that upper and lower airway pathology frequently coexist, yet the mechanistic relationships between them remain incompletely understood. This Hungarian study examined 57 sport and pleasure horses with confirmed asthmatic disease during acute exacerbation phases, performing bronchoalveolar lavage cytology, tracheal bacteriology, and endoscopic assessment at rest and under exercise (in 11 severely affected cases). The prevalence of dorsal displacement of the soft palate (DDSP) was striking: over 60% of horses with mild-to-moderate equine asthma exhibited DDSP at rest, rising to 79% in severe cases and 100% when exercised. The authors propose that bronchoconstriction-induced negative airway pressures and concurrent inflammatory changes in the lower respiratory tract may predispose the soft palate to dorsal displacement, effectively reframing DDSP in some horses as a secondary dysfunction rather than a primary anatomical problem. For practitioners managing asthmatic horses presenting with respiratory noise or performance issues, this research suggests that aggressively treating the underlying asthmatic disease—rather than reflexively pursuing palatal correction—may resolve upper airway dysfunction, though longitudinal data during disease remission would strengthen this argument considerably.
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Practical Takeaways
- •When evaluating horses with DDSP, screen for underlying asthmatic disease; treating only the palate displacement may miss the primary respiratory problem
- •Horses with asthma in exacerbation phase are at high risk for DDSP, so integrated upper and lower respiratory assessment is essential for accurate diagnosis
- •During exercise endoscopy of asthmatic horses, expect DDSP in severe cases, which may contribute to poor performance independent of lung function alone
Key Findings
- •More than 60% of horses with mild or moderate equine asthma presented with DDSP during resting endoscopy
- •More than 79% of horses with severe equine asthma showed DDSP at rest
- •All 11 horses with severe equine asthma examined during exercise demonstrated DDSP
- •Increased negative airway pressure from bronchoconstriction and inflammatory processes are likely contributing factors to DDSP development