Presumed acquired dynamic pectus excavatum in a cat

Abstract

An 11-year-old, spayed female American domestic shorthair cat was presented with open-mouth breathing and dyspnea due to respiratory tract disease. Radiographically, there was thickening of the retropharyngeal soft tissue and soft palate, focal pulmonary change, and severe pectus excavatum (PE), best seen on the left lateral view. Repeat thoracic radiographs 4 months later showed persistent PE, but only on the right lateral view; PE was absent on the left lateral view. The dynamic component of the observed PE was presumably acquired secondary to chronic upper respiratory disease and/or concurrent increased pliability of the thoracic wall from prolonged prednisolone treatment.

Figure 1

A — Left lateral, B — right lateral, and C — ventrodorsal radiographs of the thorax of an 11-year-old, spayed female American domestic shorthair cat at initial presentation. Severe pectus excavatum was present in left lateral view and mild pectus excavatum in right lateral view (solid white arrows). Marked thickening of retropharyngeal soft tissue (star) and the soft palate (asterisk) were noted. Focal soft tissue opacification was present in the right cranial lung lobe (open white arrow).

Figure 2

A — Left lateral, B — right lateral, and C — ventrodorsal radiographs of the thorax of the 11-year-old spayed female American domestic shorthair cat at 4 mo after initial radiographs. Severe pectus excavatum was noted in the right lateral view (solid white arrow) but absent in the left lateral view. Previous focal soft tissue opacification in the right cranial lung lobe was absent.