Bronchial rupture and fatal tension pneumothorax following routine venipuncture in a kitten

A five-month-old Siamese kitten suffered a bronchial tear and subsequently a fatal tension pneumothorax during routine venipuncture. No other injuries and no underlying diseases were identified upon gross postmortem and histopathological examinations. The pathogenesis of the bronchial tear was undetermined. Bronchial ruptures are unreported in animals; they are well recognized as rare injuries in humans with chest trauma. The pathogenesis of the bronchial rupture most likely was due to occlusion of the upper airways (directly or due to laryngospasm), along with pressure on the chest, or due to stretching and twisting of the tracheobronchial tree.