Serial evaluation of resting and exercising overground endoscopic examination results in young Thoroughbreds with no treatment intervention.
Authors: McGivney C L, Sweeney J, Gough K F, Hill E W, Katz L M
Journal: Equine veterinary journal
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Variability in Upper Respiratory Tract Findings on Serial Overground Endoscopy in Young Thoroughbreds McGivney and colleagues retrospectively examined whether upper respiratory tract (URT) abnormalities identified during overground endoscopy (OGE) remain consistent across repeated examinations in untreated young Thoroughbreds, addressing a critical gap in understanding the natural variability of these findings. Seventy-eight horses underwent multiple OGE evaluations at a median interval of 226.5 days, with resting and exercising recordings analysed using paired statistical comparisons; notably, exercise and physiological parameters remained consistent between examination occasions, isolating the true variability in URT pathology. Grades for all identified disorders showed significant variation between examinations, with palatal instability and resting epiglottic grade demonstrating particularly poor repeatability; furthermore, a temporal relationship emerged between examination interval and grade changes in palatal instability and resting arytenoid asymmetry. These findings suggest that single-occasion endoscopic diagnoses may not reliably predict the presence or severity of URT abnormalities and should prompt caution when justifying surgical intervention based on isolated findings. For practitioners, this research underscores the value of serial examinations before pursuing treatment decisions and may explain why some horses develop additional URT conditions following surgery for abnormalities detected at one point in time.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Do not base surgical decisions on a single endoscopic examination—variability in URT disorder appearance means repeat evaluation under similar conditions is warranted before committing to treatment
- •Palatal instability and arytenoid asymmetry show the greatest variability over time, so these findings specifically warrant serial assessment before intervention
- •Consider that some URT conditions identified at first examination may resolve spontaneously or change grade naturally, potentially avoiding unnecessary surgery in young horses
Key Findings
- •Grades for URT disorders significantly varied between examinations in 78 young Thoroughbreds, particularly for palatal instability and epiglottic grade at rest
- •Temporal link identified between examination interval and disorder grade change for palatal instability and resting arytenoid asymmetry
- •Median time between examinations was 226.5 days with no differences in exercise and physiological parameters between visits
- •Variability in most URT abnormalities on OGE may partially explain development of additional URT conditions after surgical intervention