Left cranial lung torsion in a bernese mountain dog: a case report

Lung lobe torsion (LLT) is an uncommon pathology in small animal practice. In large breed dogs LLT effects are localized mainly to the middle lobe of the right lung. This report describes a case of left cranial lung torsion in a Bernese Mountain dog: the patient was referred with a two-day history of asthenia, anorexia, dyspnea and haemoptysis. No trauma was reported. Physical examination showed the presence of bilateral pleural effusion confirmed by radiography and ultrasonography. Broncoscopy revealed that the left cranial lobe appeared to be compressed laterally with complete occlusion of the lumen. Thoracoscopy was performed to exclude other pathologies of the pleural space. The pathological lobe was removed. Histological examination revealed aspects consistent with lung lobe torsion. Clinical follow up carried out after three months showed a normal clinical course.