Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Management of hemodynamic changes associated with removal of a large abdominal myofibroblastic tumor in a pony.
- Journal:
- Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
- Year:
- 2004
- Authors:
- Boyle, Ashley G et al.
- Affiliation:
- Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital · United States
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A 22-year-old female Welsh-cross pony was having some serious health issues, including belly pain, feeling very tired, fever, not eating, muscle loss, and a swollen abdomen, which had been going on for about a year. Vets found a large tumor in her belly and decided to surgically remove it. After the surgery, the pony needed careful monitoring and management because the surgery caused significant fluid loss and changes in her body that could lead to complications. The tumor was quite large, weighing almost a fifth of her total body weight, and it was identified as a myofibroblastic tumor. With the right care after surgery, removing this type of tumor can be a good option for improving the pony's health.
Abstract
A 22-year-old female Welsh-cross pony was evaluated because of intermittent colic, signs of depression, pyrexia, anorexia, muscle wasting with abdominal distention, and weight gain over the preceding 12 months. A large abdominal mass was detected and surgically removed; the hemodynamic alterations and complications caused by the dramatic fluid losses and shifts that can occur in association with removal of a large abdominal mass required extensive postoperative management. Monitoring of clinical and hematologic variables such as attitude, heart rate, mucous membrane color, mean arterial blood pressure, PCV, and plasma total protein concentration provided useful information for successful management of the patient after surgery. On removal, the tumor weighed 19% of the pony's body weight and was characterized as a myofibroblastic tumor. Myofibroblastic tumors should be considered as a differential for large internal abdominal masses in horses, and surgical removal may be feasible and life extending with appropriate postoperative care.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15515987/