Comparison of the different diagnostic methods - radiography, endoscopy and CT-scan - for detecting airway collapse in dogs

Abstract

Airway collapse is characterized by a partial or complete narrowing of the tracheal or bronchial lumen, resulting in a restricted airflow and thus difficulties while breathing. Different regions of the respiratory tract can be affected at the same time, and it is more often a dynamic than a static process. The main objective of this study is to compare the specificity, sensibility and both positive and negative predictive values - and thereby their usefulness - of endoscopy, CT-scan and radiography in diagnosing airway collapse in dogs With this intent, a retrospective study has been conducted in 34 dogs presenting an airway collapse and underwent radiography, endoscopy and CT-scan at the same time at the Clinique Veterinaire Universitaire des animaux de compagnie – ULiege, in a time range from 2016-2024. The results of this study point out that CT-scan and endoscopy are the two most reliable techniques for detecting airway collapse in dogs. This study also reveals that radiography often overdiagnoses cervical tracheal collapse which results in a high level of false positives.