Arteries Of Gutteral Pouh

Guttural pouch mycosis is a rare but very serious disease in horses.

Arteries of gutteral pouh.

The capacity of guttural pouches in adult horses is 472 12 4 ml and the lateral compartment is approximately one third of the capacity of the medial compartment. The fungus has an affinity for growing on the surface of the guttural pouch overlying the nerves and arteries. It may influence internal carotid artery blood pressure. Only two of these survived of which one remained slightly dysphagic.

Cerebral blood cooling mechanism. Guttural pouch mycosis gpm is a fungal disease that is rare but potentially life threatening. Some cases of pharyngeal hemiplegia can make a complete recovery althouhh it may take 12 to 18 months. The infection can cause some deep damage to the arteries and nerves.

Air pressure varies with phase and forcefulness of respiration and the artery in the mucosal fold is exposed sufficiently to be affected. Clinical signs of important guttural pouch diseases are referable to injury of specific nerves and arteries in the guttural pouch and acoustic system. Ligation of the internal carotid artery of the cardiac side of the lesion is an effective means of reducing the chance of fatal epistaxis in cases of guttural pouch mycosis. Guttural pouch mycosis is a fungal infection of one or both guttural pouches.

Guttural pouch mycosis is a fungal infection in the guttural pouch caused by a common fungi that most all horses carry. The role played by the guttural pouches in the horse is still incompletely known but major advancements have been made by the works of baptiste and coworkers suggesting a major role of the guttural pouch in a brain cooling mechanism 8 9. The vestibulocochlear nerve cn viii does not enter the guttural pouch directly but may be involved in guttural pouch diseases that affect the middle ear such as temporohyoid osteoarthropathy. The function of guttural pouches is largely unknown however hypotheses have been put forward.

The blood to the horse s brain is supplied by the occipital and vertebral arteries but also mainly by the. Gpm is of unknown pathogenesis currently and no predisposing factors have been identified. Finally the internal carotid artery lies within the caudal wall of the medial compartment while the external carotid artery and maxillary artery are. Clinical signs include intermittent purulent nasal discharge painful swelling in the parotid area and in severe cases stiff head carriage and stertorous breathing.

Fungal plaques form within the guttural pouches most commonly along the walls of the major blood vessels internal carotid external carotid and maxillary arteries figure 3. Guttural pouch empyema is defined as the accumulation of purulent septic exudate in the guttural pouch.