Computed tomography (CT) examination of the soft palate in brachiocephalic dogs

Objective: It is aimed to provide information about the existence of correlation between these measurements and the clinical severity of BOAS by performing measurements on soft and bone tissues in the naso and oropharyngeal region in brachycephalic dogs without endotracheal tube with imaging in the presence of computed tomography. Materials and Methods: The research performed in different races, ages and genders brought to Aydın Adnan Menderes University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Surgery Small Animal Clinic, twelve brachycephalic dogs with at least one of the four main symptoms of BOAS, such as snoring, difficulty breathing, exercise intolerance, and syncope. The data of the study were created with sagittal, dorsal and transversal cross-sectional images obtained from the cervical/pharyngeal region with a computed tomography device without an endotracheal tube. Results: Dogs with severe brachycephalic airway syndrome had a significantly thicker soft palate (P<0.05) compared to mild and moderate dogs. Soft palate sizes (length and thickness) were determined to be larger in English Bulldog breed dogs compared to Pugs and French Bulldogs. The relationship between the severity of the syndrome and the soft palate thicknesses (K2 and K3) at 25% and 50% of the soft palate length was found to be statistically significant (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in soft palate length in dogs with different severity of brachycephalic syndrome. Conclusion: The most significant result in this study is that the increase in soft palate thickness increases the severity of brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome and the soft palate length is not always associated with clinical severity. Key Words: Brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome, BOAS, computed tomography, soft palate.