Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Permanent Lateral Deviation and Stenosis of the Cervix in an Infertile Jennet.
- Journal:
- Anatomia, histologia, embryologia
- Year:
- 2016
- Authors:
- Quartuccio, M et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Veterinary Science · Italy
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A 5-year-old female donkey, known as a jennet, was found to have a rare birth defect affecting her cervix, which was causing her infertility despite having normal ovaries and regular heat cycles. During examinations, veterinarians discovered that her cervix was permanently bent to the left and had a narrow opening, making it difficult to insert a catheter for breeding. An ultrasound showed that fluid could be injected into her uterus, but it was clear that the cervix was not functioning properly. This unusual and permanent change in her cervix was believed to be the main reason she could not get pregnant.
Abstract
Congenital abnormalities of the uterus and the cervix are rare in horses, often associated with infertility, despite normal ovarian activity and sexual behaviour. An abnormality of the cervix in a 5-year-old jennet with a history of infertility was described. Clinical and ultrasound examination of the genital tract showed a normal development of the uterus with regular cyclic activity in both the ovaries. Vaginoscopy revealed a normal development of the vagina and a cervix deviated on the left side of the vagina by a thick dorsoventral fold. The lateral deviation was permanent in any stage of oestrus cycle. Furthermore, the cervical os was narrow and digital penetration was not realizable. Using a 5-mm catheter, the full penetration was not possible even during oestrus; moreover, the inoculation of fluid could be revealed in uterus by ultrasound (fluid was not present before inoculation), demonstrating a minimal patency. An abnormal and permanent lateral displacement of a stenotic cervix was suspected as the primary cause of infertility in the jennet.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26031440/