Abstract
Based on pathological findings, 5 German shepherds, revealed a mean age of 7.6 years, showing no clinical signs were diagnosed as tracheopathia osteochondroplastica(TOC). Grossly, multiple small-sizecd nodules, appeared as cobble-stones, on the cartilage rings situated in the anterior trachea and the mucosal surface of the epiglottis were showed. Numerous tiny nodules were scattered on the pleural surface of the lung. The vascular walls of the heart were irregular and coarse apearance with calcification. Histopathologically, nodules in the trachea represented an irregular expansion of the underlying tracheal ring with protrusion into the submucosa and consisted of proliferated and calcified cartilage and bone with marrow spaces containing numbers of hematopoietic cells. Pulmonary calcinosis and calcification of the vascular walls of the heart were observed. Our observations suggested that TOC arises form eccondroses and exostoses of the tracheal cartilage rings.