Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Use of intraoperative ultrasonography to identify a cervical foreign body. A case report.
- Journal:
- Veterinary surgery : VS
- Year:
- 1987
- Authors:
- Adams, R et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Surgical Sciences · United States
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
In this case, a horse had a problem with its esophagus due to a foreign body that caused an abscess in its neck. After two months of medical treatment that didn't work, the veterinarians decided to perform surgery to remove the foreign body and drain the abscess. They used real-time ultrasound to help guide the surgery, which allowed them to avoid damaging important nearby structures. After the surgery, the horse's signs of esophageal obstruction improved, and there have been no further issues for 15 months.
Abstract
Real-time ultrasound was used to identify a foreign-body abscess causing an extraluminal esophageal obstruction in the neck of a horse. Surgical exploration to remove the foreign body and drain the abscess was performed after 2 months of medical management that had failed to resolve the problem. The abscess could not be visualized because there was no draining tract or other localizing sign of inflammation. Ultrasound was used aseptically to guide surgical dissection to the walled off abscess with minimal damage to adjacent vital structures in the surgical field. The signs of esophageal obstruction abated and have not recurred in 15 months.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3333710/