Pleuritis is inflammation of the pleura, the membrane that lines the chest wall and covers the lungs. In dogs it rarely shows up on its own: it is usually found as pleural effusion, and the clinical job is to drain the fluid, classify it and treat its cause. Pyothorax, chylothorax and hemothorax are the three effusions every graduate is expected to recognise from a tap.
Key facts
Pleuritis at a glance- Species and system: dog; respiratory (pleural space).
- What it is: inflammation of the pleura, nearly always with fluid in the pleural space; septic pleuritis with pus is pyothorax (thoracic empyema).
- Main causes in dogs: migrating plant awns, penetrating wounds and bites (pyothorax); idiopathic thoracic duct leakage (chylothorax); trauma, rodenticide and bleeding tumours (hemothorax); venous congestion and neoplasia (transudates).
- Classic presentation: rapid, shallow breathing with muffled heart sounds and quiet ventral lung sounds; fever and lethargy with pyothorax.
- Key test: thoracocentesis with fluid analysis, cytology and aerobic plus anaerobic culture.
- Zoonotic or reportable: no.
What's inside
12 sections in the full guide- Key facts
- How the NAVLE tests this
- Cause and pathophysiology
- Clinical signs
- Diagnosis
- Differential diagnoses
- Treatment and management
- Prevention and control
- Prognosis
- Quick review
- Test yourself
- References
The full guide also has 4 tables, 2 figures, 3 self-test questions and 21 references, available to NAVLE members.
Read the full study guide
The full guide is part of every NAVLE plan, with diagnosis and treatment tables, figures, a quick review and self-test questions. Start a free trial to try the question bank, or log in if you are already a member.