Abstract
Fourteen dogs referred to veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, Seoul National University were diagnosed as esophageal foreign body (9 cases), megaesophagus (4 cases) and esophageal stricture (1 case). Patients showed a variety of clinical signs including regurgitation, vomiting, anorexia, hypersalivation, and retching. Survey radiographic examination included the entire esophagus, including the caudal pharynx and cranial abdomen. contrast radiographs were done to identify lesions or to characterize abnormal radiographic findings on survey films. In case static contrast studies were not sufficient were not sufficient to differentiate the diseases, dynamic fluoroscopic studies were performed. In thoracic megaesophagus, when gas filled, it provided several hallmark findings such as visualization of paired longus colli muscle and tracheal stripe sign. When gas-distended, the caudal thoracic esophagus was seen as a pair of thin, soft-tissue stripes that converged into a point overlying the diaphragm and cranial abdomen. All cases of megaesophagus could be solely identified by survey radiographs. In esophageal foreign body, 6 cases out of 9 patients had the history of having foreign body and others not. Most of esophageal foreign body could be diagnosed on survey radiographs and one case with radiolucent foreign body was confirmed by esophagram. It appeared as radiopaque material along the path of esophagus and the radiopacity was determined by its nature. Obstruction caused by foreign body eventually led to dilation of the esophageal lumen cranial to the site in 3 cases. In esophageal stricture, there was no remarkable findings on survey radiograph of the thorax. However, esophagography with barium sulfate showed the narrowing of the esophagus near hiatus. On fluoroscopy, swallowed barium was stagnated cranial to the site despite the esophageal peristalsis.
