Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Foal with strange behavior diagnosed with portosystemic shunt
By Hillyer, M H et al.·Published in The Veterinary record·1993·Department of Veterinary Surgery, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Clinical signs and radiographic diagnosis of a portosystemic shunt in a foal.
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A three-month-old native pony foal was having repeated episodes of strange behavior that suggested a problem with its brain. While the initial check-ups didn't point to anything specific, further tests showed signs of liver-related brain issues. A needle biopsy of the liver revealed changes that matched a condition called a portosystemic shunt, where blood bypasses the liver, and this was later confirmed during surgery and at the time of death.
Abstract
A three-month-old native pony foal had a history of recurrent episodes of bizarre neurological behaviour. The results of clinical examinations were non-specific but clinicopathological investigations indicated hepatic encephalopathy. A percutaneous, needle liver biopsy revealed histopathological changes consistent with a portosystemic shunt, which was later identified by operative mesenteric portovenography, and confirmed at post mortem.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8517006/