Lung lobe torsion in 35 dogs and 4 cats.

The purpose of this study was to assess survival to discharge of animals with surgical or postmortem confirmation of a lung lobe torsion (LLT) as well as to evaluate pre-operative effusion, lung lobe affected, and patient size as prognostic indicators. Medical records search identified 35 dogs and 4 cats with a confirmed diagnosis including 17 small-breed dogs, 18 large-breed dogs, 3 domestic shorthair cats, and 1 minskin cat. Lobes affected included right middle (n = 18), left cranial (n = 18), right cranial (n = 2), left caudal (n = 1), and accessory (n = 1). Two animals died before surgery; the remaining 37 animals underwent thoracotomy. All treated small-breed dogs and cats survived; 12/18 large-breed dogs survived, with an overall survival to discharge of 87%. Pre-operative pleural effusion and affected lung lobe did not affect survival to discharge in this population. Small dogs and cats with LLT appear to have an excellent survival to discharge following thoracotomy and the survival is good in larger dogs.