Equine Laryngeal Ultrasound

An ultrasonographic scanning technique for the equine larynx, including useful acoustic windows and the normal ultrasonographic appearance at each site, was first described at the World Equine Airways Symposium in 2004 and has since become an increasingly useful ancillary diagnostic test for horses with upper airway disease.1 The initial work in this area established that the technique allows visualization of portions of the hyoid apparatus, laryngeal cartilages, and associated soft tissues (including intrinsic and extrinsic laryngeal musculature) that are not seen using endoscopy1. Additionally, real time ultrasound allows observation of the movement of the vocal folds and of the arytenoid cartilages during respiration1.
Ultrasonography offers several advantages including that it is non-invasive, can be performed on the standing horse, and is widely available. When compared to endoscopy in the assessement of the equine airway, ultrasonography allows assessment of non-luminal structures, including laryngeal musculature, the hyoid bones, and surrounding tissues such as the strap muscles of the neck.  […]