Presentation
Presents with chronic, but recently worsening cough. Previous left cranial lung lobectomy.
Patient Data
There is a severe bronchiectasis of the right middle lobar bronchus. This appears as sacculated, thin-walled mineral opacities, similar to bullae. There is an alveolar pattern in the right cranial and other lung lobes associated with mild dilation and poor tapering of the bronchi. The cardiovascular structures appear within normal limits. Two hemoclips are visible in the left thorax. There is a mild bronchial pattern throughout the lungs.
The left cranial lung lobe is absent, Metallic hemoclips are present at the origin of the left cranial bronchus. There is severe airway thickening throughout all lung lobes, and many of the airways are fully or partially occluded with nodules and soft tissue opacity. There is bronchiectasis noted in all lung lobes, with the most severe changes in the right middle bronchus, which measures greater than 2 cm in diameter. There is saccular bronchiectasis noted in the right middle and caudal lung lobes. There is a 0.7 x 0.5 mm nodule in the ventral aspect of the right middle bronchus. There are peri-bronchial infiltrates, particularly in the peripheral portions of the lung lobes. There is a multifocal ground glass interstitial appearance adjacent to the airways. Intrathoracic lymphadenopathy is not identified. There is mineralization of the aortic root. There is smooth thickening and remodeling of the 4th and 5th ribs on the left side, likely secondary to previous surgery.
Case Discussion
Endoscopy showed severe bronchial changes with exudate and concretions in the airways. The nodules in the airways were necrotic eosinophilic granulomas on histopathology, and there was eosinophilic bronchitis.
Eosinophilic bronchopneumopathy (previously called PIE) is a cause of severe bronchial inflammatory disease. In this dog, the chronic changes and secondary inflammation and pneumonia necessitated lung lobe removal and caused recurring infiltrates. The CT images above show the dramatic dilation of bronchi, the thickened walls visible on radiographs, and the infiltrates in the lungs.