Guttural Pouch Anatomy

The guttural pouch is a unique structure found in horses and only a few other species.

Guttural pouch anatomy.

Endoscopic anatomy of a normal guttural pouch. It is an outpouching of the eustachian tube the tube that connects the ears to the nose and mouth and helps to regulate air pressure. Empyema of guttural pouch horse radiograph courtesy of dr. Due to the general inaccessibility of the pouches in horses they can be an area of infection by fungi and bacteria and these infections can be extremely severe and hard to treat.

This communication with the throat allows the important nerves and arteries to come into contact with potential pathogens in the form of bacteria and fungi. The medial compartment is on the left side of the image. The significance of the guttural pouch lies in the fact that it is a hollow air filled structure that communicates with the throat every time the horse swallows. 1 they are found in perissodactyls such as equids tapirs some species of rhinoceros except for the white rhinoceros some bats a south american forest mouse and hyraxes.

The condition guttural pouch tympa. They are paired bilaterally just below the ears behind the skull and connect to the nasopharynx. The guttural pouches have important anatomical relationships with other neighboring structures particularly the retropharyngeal lymph node vascular and nervous elements. Guttural pouches are large auditory tube diverticula that contain between 300 and 600 ml of air.

Arteries such as the internal carotid artery and several cranial nerves. It is an extension of the eustachian tube which is an air filled canal that connects the throat to the middle ear. The infection usually develops subsequent to a bacterial primarily streptococcus spp infection of the upper respiratory tract. Adjacent to the thin lining of the guttural pouch note the thin stylohyoid bone that divides the pouch into a small lateral compartment and a larger medial compartment.

The guttural pouch is a structure found only in equine species. On the floor of the pouch find the retropharyngeal lymph nodes and look for signs of strangles abscesses. They are present in odd toed mammals some bats hyraxes and the american forest mouse. The equine guttural pouch.

Guttural pouches are paired extensions of the eustachian tubes that connect the pharynx to the middle ear. Palm beach equine clinic wellington florida usa. Guttural pouch empyema is defined as the accumulation of purulent septic exudate in the guttural pouch. Guttural pouches are of interest to both veterinarians and horse owners as they contain a number of important structures.