Structure of the canine oesophagus

Authors: Watson AG
Publication: New Zealand Veterinary Journal, Volume 21, Issue 9, pp 195-200, Sep 1973
Publisher: Taylor and Francis

Animal type: Companion animal, Dog
Subject Terms: Abdomen, Alimentary system/gastroenterology, Anatomy, Species description
Article class: Scientific Article

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Abstract: A number of accounts on the structure of the canine oesophagus are available (Chauveau, 1891; Sisson, 1963; Trautmann and Fiebiger, 1957; Botha, 1958; Meiss et al 1958; Bradley, 1959; Nickel et al 1960; Mann and Shorter, 1964; Miller et al 1964); however, only in the latter two has the entire organ and its tunics been described in detail. The only histological study of each of the structural tissue layers throughout the length of the canine oesophagus was that made by Mann and Shorter (1964). It is not surprising, therefore, that discrepancies exist, particularly in descriptions of the fibre arrangement in the muscular coat, in the presence or absence of an anatomical gastro-oesophageal sphincter, and in the level of the squamocolumnar epithelial change. In a study undertaken by the writer the histological features of the oesophagus were examined in two dogs. Sections were taken from the pharyngo-oesophageal junction, the cervical and the thoracic portions of the oesophagus, and the gastro-oesophageal junction. They were cut in longitudinal and transverse planes and then stained with either haematoxylin, eosin and alcian blue, or haematoxylin and van Gieson`s stain.

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