Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Uterine tear without a corresponding placental lesion in a mare.
- Journal:
- Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
- Year:
- 1993
- Authors:
- Dascanio, J J et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Clinical Sciences · United States
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A 12-year-old Thoroughbred mare had a 3-centimeter tear in her uterus after giving birth to a foal with help from a veterinarian just two days earlier. Following the delivery, she showed signs of being very tired, stopped eating, and had muscle tremors. During a physical exam, the vet found that she had a fever and some unusual muscle movements, but no problems were detected in her uterus or vagina through internal examinations. The tear likely happened due to pressure from the foal's leg against the mare's pelvis or from a blow from the foal's foot, which was strong enough to damage the uterus but not the surrounding membranes. After surgery to repair the tear, the mare's condition improved.
Abstract
A 3-cm full-thickness tear near the tip of the previously gravid uterine horn of a 12-year-old Thoroughbred mare was diagnosed at surgery. The mare had delivered a foal with veterinary assistance 2 days prior to surgery. The mare subsequently developed muscle tremors, anorexia, and signs of depression. Physical examination revealed pyrexia, extended capillary refill time, muscle fasciculations, and fewer-than-normal borborygmi. Abnormalities of the uterus or vagina were not detected by palpation per rectum or per vagina. The chorioallantois underlying the area of the tear was intact. We propose that the uterine tear was caused by pressure created by the foal's stifle against the maternal pelvis or by blunt forces caused by the foal's foot, sufficient to tear the uterus, but not the chorioallantois.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8440635/