Population
Medical records and high-speed treadmill endoscopy (HSTE) recordings of
harness racehorses that presented with abnormal respiratory noise and/or
poor performance which underwent HSTE using a standardised protocol at
the Norwegian University of Life Sciences between 2005 and 2022 were
reviewed. Horses were included in the study if they had videoendoscopic
evidence of epiglottic compression during phases of poll flexion, prior
to appearance of any other URT abnormalities (if present). Epiglottic
compression was defined as inward compression of the base of the
epiglottis resulting in a local U-shaped conformation which often
partially or fully (visually) obscured the vocal fold(s). Data reviewed
for these cases included breed, sex, age, presenting complaint and HSTE
findings. Horses were excluded from the study if they were visually lame
at the time of examination, diagnosed with DLC associated with poll
flexion at the time of examination, if they had been diagnosed with DLC
previously or if they had undergone any form of URT surgery prior to the
HSTE examination.