Summary
The age of onset of equine recurrent laryngeal neuropathy has not been ascertained, although the clinical condition of left laryngeal hemiplegia (“roaring”) has been recognized for centuries. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the laryngeal muscles of draft horse foals for the presence of fiber-type grouping, indicating denervation and reinnervation, and to determine if histological evidence of recurrent laryngeal neuropathy was present. Abductor and adductor laryngeal muscles from the left and right sides were collected immediately after euthanasia from male draft horse foals, six less than 2 weeks and four 6 months of age, and stained for myosin ATPase. A morphometric test was used to objectively evaluate several areas from each muscle for fiber-type grouping. Extensive fiber-type grouping which was characteristic of recurrent laryngeal neuropathy was found in one of the young foals and all of the older foals. Four of the young foals had some areas of fiber-type grouping suggestive of mild, early changes associated with recurrent laryngeal neuropathy. One of the young foals had no fiber-type grouping present in any of the laryngeal muscles evaluated. These findings suggest an early age of onset of recurrent laryngeal neuropathy.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Anderson LJ (1984) A study of some muscles of the equine larynx and soft palate. PhD Thesis, Massey University, Palmerston North
Cahill JI, Goulden BE (1986) Equine laryngeal hemiplegia, part I. A light microscopic study of peripheral nerves. NZ Vet J 1986 34:161–169
Cahill JI, Goulden BE (1986) Equine laryngeal hemiplegia, part II. An electron microscopic study of peripheral nerve. NZ Vet J 34:170–175
Cahill JI, Goulden BE (1986) Equine laryngeal hemiplegia, part III. A teased-fibre study of peripheral nerves. NZ Vet J 34:181–185
Cahill JI, Goulden BE (1986) Equine laryngeal hemiplegia, part IV. Muscle pathology. NZ Vet J 34:186–190
Cahill JI, Goulden BE (1987) The pathogenesis of equine laryngeal hemiplegia review. NZ Vet J 35:82–90
Cliff AD, Ord JK (1973) Spatial autocorrelation. Pion, London
Cohen MH, Lester JM, Bardley WG, Brenner JF, Hirsch RP, Silber DI, Ziegelmiller D (1987) A computer model of denervation-reinnervation in skeletal muscle. Muscle Nerve 10:826–836
Cole CR (1946) Changes in the equine larynx associated with laryngeal hemiplegia. Am J Vet Res 7:69–77
Cook WR (1970) A comparison of idiopathic laryngeal paralysis in man and horse. J Laryngol Otol 819–835
Cook WR (1975) The diagnosis of respiratory unsoundness in the horse. Vet Rec 77:516–528
Dubowitz V (1985) Muscle biopsy Bailliere Tindall, London
Duncan ID (1973) Pathologic changes in equine laryngeal muscles and nerves. Proceedings of the 19th Annual Convention. Am Assoc Equine Pract 19:97–113
Duncan ID (1992) Determination of the early age of onset of equine recurrent laryngeal neuropathy. II. Nerve pathology. Acta Neuropathol (in press)
Duncan ID, Baker GJ, Heffron CJ, Griffiths IR (1977) A correlation of the endoscopic and pathological changes in subclinical pathology of the horse's larynx. Equine Vet J 9:220–225
Duncan ID, Griffiths IR, Madrid RE (1978) A light and electron microscopic study of the neuropathy of equine idiopathic laryngeal hemiplegia. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol 4:483–501
Duncan ID, Amundson J, Cuddon PA, Sufit R, Jackson KF, Lindsay WA (1991) Preferential denervation of the adductor muscles of the equine larynx. I. Muscle pathology. Equine Vet J 23:94–98
Duncan ID, Reifenrath P, Jackson KF, Clayton M (1991) Preferential denervation of the adductor muscles of the equine larynx. II. Nerve pathology. Equine Vet J 23:99–103
Dyer KR, Duncan ID (1987) The intraneural distribution of myelinated fibres in the equine recurrent laryngeal nerve. Brain 110:1531–1543
Embertson RM, Chase JP, Morehead JP, Bramlage LR (1991) Evaluation of the pharynx and larynx of the yearling thoroughbred: results of a survey. Proceedings of the 36th Annual Convention. Am Assoc Equine Pract 37:423–427
Fawcett PRW, Johnson MA, Schofield IS (1985) Comparison of electrophysiological and histochemical methods for assessing the spatial distribution of muscle fibres of a motor unit within muscle. J Neurol Sci 69:67–79
Froes MMQ, Kristmundsdottir F, Mahon M, Cumming WJK (1987) Muscle morphometry in motor neuron disease. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol 13:405–419
Goulden BE, Anderson LJ (1981) Equine laryngeal hemiplegia, part 1. Physical characteristics of affected animals. NZ Vet J 29:150–153
Goulden BE, Anderson LJ, Cahill JI (1985) Roaring in Clydesdales. NZ Vet J 33:73–76
Griffiths IR, Duncan ID, Quirk C (1973) The central areas of denervated canine muscle. I Comp Pathol 83:493–498
Gunn HM (1972) Histochemical observations on laryngeal skeletal muscle fibers in “normal” horses. Equine Vet J 4:144–148
Gunn HM (1973) Further observations on laryngeal skeletal muscle in the horse. Equine Vet J 5:77–80
Harrison GD (1991) Determination of the early age of onset of equine recurrent laryngeal neuropathy: fiber-type grouping in the laryngeal muscles of draft horse foals. M. Sc, University of Wisconsin, Madison
Hatano E, Miyamoto Y, Arita S, Hory Y (1984) Application of computer systems to analysis of muscle morphology. Hiroshima J Med Sci 33:145–149
Hillidge CJ (1986) Interpretation of laryngeal function tests in the horse. Vet Rec 118:535–536
James NT (1971) A geometrical probability study of the clumping of type 1 muscle fibres in rabbit and guinea pig. J Neurol Sci 14:381–387
Johnson MA, Polgar J, Weightman D, Appleton D (1973) Data on the distribution of fibre types in thirty-six human muscles: an autopsy study. J Neurol Sci 18:111–129
Lester JM, Silber DI, Cohen MH, Hirsch RP, Bradley WG, Brenner JF (1983) The co-dispersion index for the measurement of fiber type distribution patterns. Muscle Nerve 6:581–587
Lexell J, Downham D, Sjöström M (1983) Distribution of different fibre types in human skeletal muscles a statistical and computational model for the study of fibre-type grouping and early diagnosis of skeletal muscle fibre denervation and reinnervation. J Neurol Sci 61:301–314
Lexell J, Downham D, Sjöström M (1984) Distribution of different fibre types in human skeletal muscles: a statistical and computational study of the fibre-type arrangement in m. vastus lateralis of young, healthy males. J Neurol Sci 65:353–365
Lexell J, Downham D, Sjöström M (1987) Morphological detection of neurogenic muscle disorders: how can statistical methods aid diagnosis? Acta Neuropathol (Berl) 75:109–115
Poncet PA, Montavon S, Barrelet F, Straub R, Gerber H (1989) A preliminary report on the possible genetic basis of laryngeal hemiplegia. Equine Vet J 21:137–138
Venema HW (1988) Spatial distribution of fiber types in skeletal muscle: test for a random distribution. Muscle Nerve 11:301–311
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Supported by the Grayson Foundation
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Harrison, G.D., Duncan, I.D. & Clayton, M.K. Determination of the early age of onset of equine recurrent laryngeal neuropathy. Acta Neuropathol 84, 307–315 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00227824
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00227824