Prevalence of pectus excavatum (PE), pectus carinatum (PC), tracheal hypoplasia, thoracic spine deformities and lateral heart displacement in thoracic radiographs of screw-tailed brachycephalic dogs

PLoS One. 2019 Oct 10;14(10):e0223642. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0223642. eCollection 2019.

Abstract

Pectus excavatum, thoracic spine deformities, tracheal hypoplasia and lateral heart displacement are frequently described in brachycephalic dog breeds. Pectus carinatum is described sporadically, although the authors' observations demonstrate that it may occur in certain brachycephalic dog breeds. It was hypothesised that dogs of screw-tailed brachycephalic breeds carry a greater risk of these anomalies than normal-tailed brachycephalic breeds, and that there could a relation between the presence of pectus excavatum or pectus carinatum and thoracic spine deformities, tracheal hypoplasia and lateral heart displacement. During retrospective studies, these anomalies were identified in lateral and dorso-ventral radiographs of the thorax in brachycephalic dog breeds. A statistical analysis revealed that the frequency of pectus excavatum occurrence in screw-tailed and normal-tailed brachycephalic dog breeds is similar. The greatest risk of pectus excavatum occurrence is carried by two breeds: Maltese (60%) and English Bulldog (58%), while for pectus carinatum: Pug (41%) and French Bulldog (18%). Dogs of screw-tailed brachycephalic breeds carry a greater risk of kyphosis (p < 0.0001), tracheal hypoplasia occurrence (p < 0.0001), compared to "normal-tailed" breeds. The hypothesis concerning a relation between the presence of pectus excavatum or pectus carinatum and the other anomalies studied was not confirmed (p > 0.05). It was demonstrated that in dogs of brachycephalic breeds there was a greater risk of co-incidence between kyphosis of the thoracic spine and lateral heart displacement (p = 0.038), as well as kyphosis of the thoracic spine and tracheal hypoplasia (p = 0.003).

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Constriction, Pathologic / complications
  • Constriction, Pathologic / diagnostic imaging
  • Constriction, Pathologic / epidemiology
  • Constriction, Pathologic / veterinary*
  • Dogs
  • Female
  • Funnel Chest / complications
  • Funnel Chest / diagnostic imaging
  • Funnel Chest / epidemiology
  • Funnel Chest / veterinary*
  • Heart Defects, Congenital / complications
  • Heart Defects, Congenital / diagnostic imaging
  • Heart Defects, Congenital / epidemiology
  • Heart Defects, Congenital / veterinary*
  • Male
  • Odds Ratio
  • Pectus Carinatum / complications
  • Pectus Carinatum / diagnostic imaging
  • Pectus Carinatum / epidemiology
  • Pectus Carinatum / veterinary*
  • Prevalence
  • Tail
  • Thoracic Vertebrae / abnormalities*
  • Thoracic Vertebrae / diagnostic imaging*
  • Trachea / abnormalities*
  • Trachea / diagnostic imaging

Supplementary concepts

  • Tracheal agenesis

Grants and funding

The authors received no specific funding for this work.