Tracheal Hypoplasia Evaluation Criteria

With Tracheal Hypoplasia the trachea has a decreased luminal diameter resulting in breathing difficulties. The condition is common in Bulldog and non-Bulldog brachycephalic breeds.

The radiographic evaluation is performed on a lateral view of the cervical and thoracic trachea obtained with the patient awake and at peak inspiration. The evaluation consists of a subjective evaluation of tracheal size and uniformity by a board certified veterinary radiologist, and an objective evaluation based on the ratio (TLR) of the tracheal lumen diameter at the thoracic inlet to the width of the proximal third rib.

For certification, dogs must be at least 12 months of age at the time of radiography, must have a normal subjective evaluation of the tracheal size and uniformity, and must have a TLR greater than or equal to 2.0.

Indeterminate cases are reported as equivocal.

Abnormal cases are reported as hypoplastic.