Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Choledocholithiasis attributable to a foreign body in a horse.
- Journal:
- Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
- Year:
- 1993
- Authors:
- Gerros, T C et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Medical Sciences
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
In this case, a horse was diagnosed with a condition called cholelithiasis, which means there were gallstones causing a blockage in the bile duct. The problem was linked to a foreign object, specifically a 7-centimeter wooden stick, that led to the formation of these stones and an infection in the bile duct. The horse showed signs of intermittent belly pain, yellowing of the skin and eyes (icterus), and fever. Tests showed high levels of certain enzymes that indicated a blockage in the bile system, and an ultrasound confirmed the diagnosis. Unfortunately, the horse did not survive, as the examination after death revealed the wooden stick was the cause of the gallstone issue.
Abstract
Cholelithiasis is the most common cause of biliary obstruction in horses. Proposed mechanisms include ascariasis, biliary stasis, ascending biliary infection, and changes in bile composition. In this horse, a foreign body acted as the nidus for bile-salt deposition and ascending cholangitis. Clinical signs (intermittent abdominal pain, icterus, and pyrexia) in conjunction with high serum activity of enzymes indicative of obstructive biliary disease led to a tentative diagnosis of cholelithiasis. Ultrasonography was used to confirm the diagnosis. Postmortem examination revealed a 7-cm wooden stick to be the core of a cholelith found in the common bile duct.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8428841/