Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Pleural fluid analysis in newborn Thoroughbred filly with pneumonia
By Stokol, Tracy et al.·Published in Veterinary clinical pathology·2008·Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: What is your diagnosis? Pleural fluid from a neonatal Thoroughbred filly with pneumonia.
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A 3-day-old Thoroughbred filly was brought to the vet with breathing problems after having surgery for an umbilical hematoma. After the surgery, she developed pneumonia and was found to have fluid in her chest. Tests showed that the fluid was mostly made up of immune cells and some unusual material likely from a lubricant used during her surgery. Fortunately, the issue was considered incidental, and the filly's condition was managed. She recovered well after treatment.
People also search for: why is my foal breathing fast · pneumonia in newborn horse · treatment for pleural effusion in foals
Abstract
A 3-day-old filly was presented to the Cornell University Hospital for Animals with an umbilical hematoma and mild aspiration pneumonia. The foal underwent abdominal surgery for resection of the hematoma. Recovery was uneventful, but 3 days after surgery, the foal became progressively tachypneic. Imaging studies revealed bilateral pleural effusion and pleuropneumonia. Cytologic evaluation and bacterial culture of the pleural fluid from both sides of the chest revealed sterile exudates, consisting mostly of neutrophils, with fewer macrophages and lymphocytes. Pleural fluid macrophages contained variable amounts of purple-magenta globular material in their cytoplasm. A lighter colored granular precipitate was also seen throughout the background of the smears. Similar material was identified in a macrophage in a peripheral blood smear prepared 2 days after abdominal surgery. Large amounts of extracellular pink precipitate were also seen in the blood smear and persisted in the blood for 7 days after surgery. A protective lubricant, carboxymethylcellulose, had been instilled into the abdominal cavity during surgery to prevent intra-abdominal adhesions. The intracytoplasmic pigment within pleural fluid and blood macrophages and the extracellular precipitate in peripheral blood and pleural fluid smears was compatible with carboxymethylcellulose. The material was probably derived hematogenously and was considered an incidental finding. The pleuritis was attributed to exacerbation of the original aspiration pneumonia by the general anesthesia.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18533926/