Endoscopy Case Study
Courtesy of
Timothy McCarthy, DVM, Diplomate ACVS
Surgical Specialty Clinic
of Animals
Beaverton, OR
ENDOSCOPICALLY GUIDED LASER ABLATION OF A NASAL TUMOR
An eight year old neutered male Scottie was presented with a
history of recurrent episodes of epistaxis for five months. At
the time of presentation he had increased nasal airway sounds
with partial nasal obstruction. There was no epistaxis or nasal
discharge at the time of presentation. Nasal radiographs revealed
an increased density with loss of turbinate detail in the caudal
portion of the left nasal cavity (Figure 1).
Figure 1 |
Rhinoscopy was performed and
a large irregular mass was found in the caudal portion of
the left nasal cavity (Figure 2).
Multiple biopsies were taken and histopathology revealed
that the mass was a nasal adenocarcinoma. The mass was partially
removed with biopsy forceps and additional tumor tissue was
ablated with a Holmium laser using a 1000 micron laser fiber
under endoscopic guidance (Figure 3).
|
A significant portion of the tumor
mass was removed. The nasal obstruction was relieved by the
procedure and the patient was free of epistaxis for three
months. This procedure is strictly palliative but does provide
a minimally invasive alternative to more aggressive therapy.
This procedure can be repeated when epistaxis or obstruction
recur.
|
Figure 2 |
Figure 3 |
|
