Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Transient Horner's syndrome in horses following cervical plexus local anesthesia.
- Journal:
- Veterinary surgery : VS
- Year:
- 2024
- Authors:
- Pearce, Duncan J et al.
- Affiliation:
- University of Melbourne Faculty of Sciences · Australia
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
In a study involving 37 horses that received local anesthesia in the neck for a specific throat surgery, five horses (about 14%) showed temporary signs of Horner's syndrome, which is a condition that can affect the nerves in the face. These signs appeared 2 to 5 hours after the anesthesia was given and lasted for about 2 to 4 hours. The most noticeable symptom was excessive sweating on one side of the head and neck. Fortunately, there were no long-term problems reported after this condition resolved. Overall, the treatment was effective, and the horses recovered without lasting effects.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To report the development of transient Horner's syndrome in horses following local anesthesia of the cervical plexus. ANIMALS: A total of 37 horses. STUDY DESIGN: Observational retrospective short case series. METHODS: Medical records of cases undergoing ultrasound-guided cervical plexus anesthesia for standing prosthetic laryngoplasty at a single referral institution were evaluated (2019-2020). RESULTS: Five of 37 horses (14%) developed transient signs of Horner's syndrome postoperatively. Obvious clinical signs began 2 to 5 h following local anesthesia and persisted for two to 4 h. Profuse unilateral sweating of the head and upper neck was the most apparent clinical sign. CONCLUSION: Transient clinical signs of Horner's syndrome were seen following unilateral local anesthesia of the cervical plexus. Long-term adverse sequelae were not observed.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38010125/