Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Volvulus of the cecum and large colon caused by multiple mesenteric defects in a horse.
- Journal:
- Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
- Year:
- 1992
- Authors:
- Ross, M W & Bayha, R
- Affiliation:
- Department of Clinical Studies · United States
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A 2-year-old Standardbred colt was brought in because he had been showing signs of abdominal pain for about 12 hours. The vet noticed that his heart was racing, his belly was swollen, and a rectal exam showed that part of his large intestine was also swollen and thickened, suggesting a serious blockage. During surgery, the vet found that the large intestine had twisted around itself, and the colt's cecum (a part of the intestine) was missing some important attachments. After the surgery, the colt recovered and went home, but six months later he had severe abdominal pain again and was put to sleep. An examination after his death revealed that he had developed more serious issues in his abdomen.
Abstract
A 2-year-old Standardbred colt was examined because of signs of abdominal pain of 12 hours' duration. Clinical signs of disease, including tachycardia and abdominal distention, and rectal palpation findings of distention and thickening of the ventral colon, were consistent with displacement or early strangulation obstruction of the large colon. Surgical exploration revealed volvulus of the large colon around an axis formed by the dorsal mesenteric attachment of the transverse colon. The cecum could be completely exteriorized and lacked the cecocolic ligament and dorsal mesenteric attachments. The dorsal mesenteric attachments of the right ventral and dorsal colons were also lacking. The viscera were repositioned, and the horse was discharged 13 days after surgery. The horse developed severe colic 6 months later and was euthanatized. Mesenteric volvulus and omental adhesions were found at necropsy.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1559877/