Nasopharyngeal sialocele excision with an electrosurgical snare in a dog

A 9-year-old female spayed Pug presented for marked obstructive apnoea and intermittent sneezing. On presentation, the dog had mild tachypnoea and increased inspiratory effort when sleeping. A nasopharyngeal mass was observed during the upper airway examination. On computed tomography scan, the nasopharyngeal characteristics and Hounsfield units were most consistent with a soft tissue mass. Endoscopic-guided electrosurgical snare cauterisation was performed. Procedure time was approximately 5 minutes. The discharge from the nasopharyngeal mass was submitted for cytology, and results were consistent with a nasopharyngeal sialocele. The dog presented for a review and endoscopic examination 4 months post-procedure, which showed no recurrence. This case report provides a novel, minimally invasive approach. The technique involved utilising an electrosurgical snare. Screening for nasopharyngeal sialoceles should be performed in all brachycephalic breeds undergoing brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome surgery. In addition, computed tomography characteristics of a sialocele can be inconsistent with what has been previously reported.