Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Mare limping and swollen leg - could it be a fistula?
By Parks, A H et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·1989·Department of Large Animal Medicine, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Lameness in a mare with signs of arteriovenous fistula.
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A 5-year-old female horse was taken to the vet because she was limping and had swelling in her right front leg. The vet noticed some unusual signs, like swelling, a pulsing vein, and differences in oxygen levels between her two front legs, which suggested she might have a condition called an arteriovenous fistula (an abnormal connection between an artery and a vein). However, attempts to find this connection using imaging tests and surgery did not work, as the connection seemed to close during anesthesia. Unfortunately, they were unable to identify the problem.
Abstract
A 5-year-old mare was evaluated for lameness and swelling of the right forelimb. Clinical findings, including peripheral edema, venous pulsation, palpable thrill in the cephalic vein, disparate arteriovenous oxygen tension differences between the left and right forelimbs, and Branham sign, were suggestive of arteriovenous fistula. Failure to identify the fistula by angiography was attributed to closure of the shunt during anesthesia. Surgical exploration of the affected limb to identify the shunt also was unsuccessful.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2917907/