SILVEIRA, Saulo Assunção.
Resumo:
Of all the diseases that affect the upper respiratory tract in horses, the main one is hemiplegia
or paralysis of the larynx. This condition is the most common cause of airway obstruction in
large breeds of horses, especially racehorses or who exercise constantly, and occurs more
frequently in patients between 2 and 5 years old. The aim of this literature review was to
describe the anatomical structures involved in laryngeal hemiplegia in horses and report the
researchers point out as anatomical factors of the horse's larynx that predisposes to laryngeal
hemiplegia. The review was give priority to studies that discuss the anatomical and clinical
aspects of laryngeal hemiplegia in horses. The main anatomical factors that predispose the
horse to develop laryngeal hemiplegia are: long recurrent laryngeal nerves requires greater
energy requirement for the metabolism of axonal conduction of nerve impulses, especially in
extreme exercise; direct contact of the laryngeal nerve with the aortic arch and the
tracheobronchial lymph nodes; and the anatomical relationship of the nerves with the guttural
pouch.