Tracheal Hemangioma Causing Lung Emphysema and Pneumopericardium in a Rabbit—A Case Report

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Rabbits have become popular pets in recent years and thus are increasingly presenting as patients to veterinary clinics. The medical examination and diagnosis of this type of patient are difficult due to the high degree of sensitivity and weakness of evident symptoms. However, in pet rabbits, several tumors and pathologic conditions have been already reported. In the present case, a female 8-year-old pet rabbit showed a severe respiratory disorder and a lack of improvement after antibiotic therapy. A computer tomography scan was performed which revealed the presence of air in the pericardial sac, a pneumopericardium. The rabbit died from circulatory and respiratory failure soon after the examination, and the necropsy revealed the presence of a tumor histologically consistent with hemangioma within the lumen of the trachea. This tumor, reducing the lumen of trachea, caused the pet rabbit to have dyspnea, and most likely predisposed the rabbit to a pneumopericardium. Tracheal hemangioma and a pneumopericardium have never been described in a pet rabbit. Moreover, this is the first report on the association of the two pathologic conditions in an animal or human. ABSTRACT: A pet rabbit (female, 8 years old, and mixed breed) with symptoms of dyspnea, apathy, and weight loss was treated for an acute respiratory infection. Due to the lack of improvement, it was referred to the Imaging Diagnostics Laboratory of the Department and Clinic of Surgery for a computer tomography scan of the thoracic cavity. The examination revealed the presence of air in the pericardial sac, a pneumopericardium, along with pulmonary emphysema. A few minutes after the examination, the rabbit developed circulatory and respiratory failure and died. Necropsy confirmed the presence of a pneumopericardium and pulmonary emphysema, and revealed, in the tracheal lumen, the presence of a tumor histologically consistent with hemangioma. A spontaneous pneumopericardium occurs when air from the respiratory system moves into the pericardial sac. This is the first case of the simultaneous occurrence of tracheal hemangioma and a pneumopericardium in a rabbit.