ABSTRACT A six-month-old female cat suffered aspiration of an abundant amount of barium sulfate during a radiographic procedure for the diagnosis of megaesophagus. Latero-lateral contrast radiography revealed severe dilation of the thoracic esophagus cranial to the base of the heart. Persistence of the right aortic arch was suspected and later confirmed during corrective surgery. Accumulation of barium sulfate, used as a contrast agent, was clearly observed in the lumen of the bronchi, bronchioles, and alveoli in the radiographic image. Days after the surgery, the animal developed severe respiratory distress, which resulted in death. Cytology results and histology analysis using polarized light demonstrated that the lumen of bronchi, bronchioles, and... |