Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Ewe found pregnant in cesarean scar after surgery
By Brozos, C et al.·Published in New Zealand veterinary journal·2013·a Department of Clinical Sciences·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Ectopic pregnancy through a caesarean scar in a ewe.
- Species:
- sheep
Plain-English summary
A 3-year-old ewe was found to have an abnormal mass in her abdomen during a routine pregnancy check, even though she was also carrying a healthy embryo in her uterus. The mass turned out to be an ectopic pregnancy, meaning the embryo was growing outside the uterus, specifically through a previous caesarean scar. The veterinarian surgically removed the ectopic fetus and repaired the scar, allowing the ewe to recover fully. She later gave birth to a healthy female lamb about five weeks after the surgery.
People also search for: ewe pregnancy complications · ectopic pregnancy in sheep · caesarean scar issues in ewes
Abstract
CASE HISTORY: A routine ultrasonographic examination for pregnancy diagnosis in a 3-year-old ewe revealed a normal embryo located in the uterine cavity and an abnormal mass located in the abdomen. At the time of examination, the ewe was 4.5 months pregnant, but 10 months previously she had undergone a caesarean section due to dystocia. CLINICAL FINDINGS: The abnormal mass (12 cm × 8 cm) was located outside the uterine cavity; it was anechoic at the periphery, and in the centre there was an echogenic embryo-like structure. Exploratory laparotomy was performed, which revealed an ectopic pregnancy through the caesarean scar. TREATMENT: The ectopic foetus was excised and the caesarean scar was repaired. The ewe made a complete recovery and the intrauterine pregnancy was completed to full-term, resulting in the birth of a healthy female lamb 35 days after the removal of the ectopic foetus. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Ectopic pregnancies have previously been described in ewes. As far as the authors are aware, this is the first report of an ectopic pregnancy through a caesarean scar in sheep or any other farm animal species.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23768170/