Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Basilar skull fracture in a Thoroughbred colt: radiography or computed tomography?
- Journal:
- Journal of the South African Veterinary Association
- Year:
- 2013
- Authors:
- Lim, Chee Kin et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Companion Animal Clinical Studies
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A two-year-old Thoroughbred colt was brought to the veterinary clinic after he fell backward and hit his head, leading to sudden neurological problems. After receiving initial treatment, the colt was put under anesthesia for a CT scan, which revealed a serious type of skull fracture. Unfortunately, due to the poor outlook for recovery, the decision was made to euthanize him. An examination after death confirmed the findings from the imaging tests. This case highlights the differences between using CT scans and regular X-rays for diagnosing this type of skull injury.
Abstract
A two-year-old Thoroughbred colt was presented to the Equine Clinic, Onderstepoort Veterinary Academic Hospital for head trauma after rearing and falling backwards, hitting his head on the ground. Following medical therapy for acute onset neurological impairment secondary to a suspected basilar skull fracture, the horse was anaesthetised and computed tomography of the skull was performed. A diagnosis of a comminuted basilar skull fracture was made and skull radiographs were taken for comparison. The horse was subsequently euthanased owing to the poor prognosis; necropsy findings were compatible with imaging findings. The value and limitation of computed tomography versus radiography for the diagnosis of basilar skull fracture are discussed in this report.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23718726/