Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Horse in severe pain from colon displacement - what to do?
By Speirs, V C et al.·Published in Australian veterinary journal·1979·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Dorsal displacement of the left ventral and dorsal colon in two horses.
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
This study looks at two horses that had a serious condition where part of their colon got trapped in a space near the spleen and kidney, causing them moderate to severe pain. They didn't respond to medical treatment, and attempts to relieve pressure by inserting a needle into their abdomen often risked hitting the spleen. Both horses underwent surgery to fix the problem, and they both recovered, although one horse needed a second surgery because the issue came back.
Abstract
This paper describes the clinical signs and surgical treatment of 2 cases of dorsal displacement of the left ventral and dorsal colon. The condition, in which the colon becomes enclosed in the space bounded by the base of the spleen, the dorsal aspect of the suspensory ligament of the spleen (phrenicosplenic ligament), the left kidney and the adjacent body wall, is characterised by moderate to severe pain, minimal signs of shock, no response to medical therapy and a tendency for a ventral midline abdominal paracentesis to enter the spleen. Both horses recovered after surgical replacement of the colon, one case requiring a second laparotomy because of a recurrence of the displacement.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/556218/