Topic:Foreign Body
Foreign bodies in horses refer to any non-native objects that enter the body, either through ingestion, inhalation, or penetration of the skin. These objects can range from plant material and metal fragments to plastic pieces and stones. Foreign bodies can cause a range of issues in horses, from mild irritation to severe health complications, depending on their location, size, and the duration they remain in the body. Ingested foreign bodies may lead to gastrointestinal obstruction or colic, while those that penetrate the skin can result in localized infections or abscesses. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the identification, management, and outcomes of foreign body incidents in equine patients.
Histologic and cytologic changes in normal equine joints after injection with 2.5% injectable polyacrylamide hydrogel reveal low-level macrophage-driven foreign body response. The data presented in this paper are derived from an in vivo study performed to characterize the nature of the synovial integration process of a 2.5% synthetic cross-linked injectable polyacrylamide hydrogel (2.5 iPAAG) injected IA in horses. Methods: 10 healthy horses not suffering from OA or signs of joint disease were administered 50 or 100 mg 2.5 iPAAG in a total of 13 metacarpophalangeal or middle carpal joints. Methods: Injected joints were examined at 0, 14, 42, and/or 90 days postinjection. Parameters investigated included clinical examination, synoviocentesis, gross pathology, histolo...
A preliminary investigation of the subcutaneous tissue reaction to a 3D printed polydioxanone device in horses. A 3D printed self-locking device made of polydioxanone (PDO) was developed to facilitate a standardized ligation technique. The subcutaneous tissue reaction to the device was evaluated after implantation in ten horses of mixed age, sex and breed and compared to loops of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA). In two of the horses, the implants were removed before closing the skin. The appearance of the implants and surrounding tissue was followed over time using ultrasonography. Implants were removed after 10 and 27 (± 1) days for histologic examination. Results: On macroscopic inspection at ...
Endoscopic-guided Esophageal Foreign Body Removal in a Donkey. Esophageal obstruction is a common disorder in equids usually caused by intraluminal impaction with roughage and/or other feed material. Esophageal obstructions can also be caused by foreign bodies, but they are rarely reported and information regarding diagnosis and management is lacking. This report describes an esophageal obstruction in a donkey caused by a metallic foreign body removed using endoscopic guidance. Recognition of the foreign body facilitated treatment and underscores the importance of imaging in such cases to prevent dislodgement of the object to more aboral sites where acces...
Endoscopic diagnosis and management of an unusual nasal foreign body in a mare. Occurrence of intra-nasal foreign bodies is uncommon in horses. This report describes -for the first time- a case of a 4-year-old Arabian-cross mare with unilateral mucopurulent nasal discharge, epistaxis and exercise intolerance due to intra-nasal foreign body. Clinical signs, radiography and endoscopic examination confirmed the presence of a tooth fragment (foreign body) embedded in the ventral valve of the left nasal cavity. The foreign body was successfully removed using alligator forceps under endoscopic guidance.
Identification of a periorbital wooden foreign body as the cause of chronic ocular discharge in a horse. The clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic features of a horse with a wooden foreign body embedded in the deep portion of the right masseter muscle adjacent to the right orbit are presented. The purpose of this report is to describe the clinical presentation, magnetic resonance imaging findings and treatment of a penetrating wooden foreign body in a horse that had no history of trauma or evidence of a puncture wound. This report documents the usefulness of magnetic resonance imaging to detect a wooden foreign body embedded in the soft tissues of a horse with a chronic copious ocular discharge. T...
Esophageal laceration and obstruction caused by a foreign body in 2 young foals. This report describes 2 foals with esophageal laceration due to ingestion of foreign bodies. Endoscopic examination of the esophagus revealed full thickness esophageal laceration in 1 colt and partial thickness laceration of the esophagus in the other. The esophageal obstruction was relieved by repetitive esophageal lavages and flush under general anesthesia in both foals. Lacération et obstruction œsophagiennes causées par un corps étranger chez deux jeunes poulains âgés de moins de 1 an. Ce rapport décrit deux poulains âgés de moins de 1 an souffrant d’une lacération œsophagienn...
Penetrating metallic foreign bodies as a cause of peritonitis in 3 horses. Three cases of penetrating metallic foreign bodies causing peritonitis in horses are reported. These cases were presented with varying clinical complaints and duration of clinical signs. Entry of foreign bodies into the abdominal cavity through the skin and body wall is reported for the first time. Corps étrangers métalliques pénétrants comme cause de péritonite chez 3 chevaux. Trois cas de corps étrangers métalliques pénétrants ayant causé une péritonite chez des chevaux sont signalés. Ces cas ont été présentés avec des plaintes cliniques différentes et une durée variable de...
Wooden, metallic, hair, bone, and plant foreign bodies in horses: 37 cases (1990-2005). To characterize features of diagnosis, treatment, and outcome in horses with foreign bodies, exclusive of enteric, inhaled, and foot-penetrating foreign bodies. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: 37 horses with foreign bodies. Methods: The incidence of equine foreign bodies from 1990 through 2005 was determined by review of data from veterinary schools participating in the Veterinary Medical Database (VMDB). Medical records of horses with foreign bodies at Purdue University were reviewed, and the following information was retrieved: clinical history; signalment; results of physical, ...
Enteroliths and other foreign bodies. This article focuses on obstructive diseases of the large intestine (large and small colons) caused by intraluminal bodies. Large intestinal obstructions from intraluminal bodies can be divided into the following categories: enteroliths or mineral concretions, bezoars (hair or plant material), and ingested foreign objects. Clinical presentation and treatment of obstructive diseases are presented in this article and are similar regardless of the cause.
Arthroscopic removal of metallic foreign body from the talocrural joint using a magnetic retriever in a horse. To report use of a magnetic retriever for arthroscopic removal of a metallic foreign body from the equine talocrural joint. Methods: Clinical report. Methods: A 2-year-old Warmblood stallion. Methods: A metallic foreign body was removed from a talocrural joint using a 10-mm magnetic retriever under arthroscopic guidance. Preoperative radiographs were used to locate the intra-articular position of the foreign body. Results: Six months after surgery, the horse was no longer lame. Conclusions: A magnetic retriever can be used for arthroscopic removal of metallic foreign bodies from the equine tal...
Treatment of a metallic foreign body in the cranial cervical region of a horse. Ingestion of foreign bodies is uncommon in horses when compared with indiscriminate grazers such as cattle. This case report describes the diagnosis and treatment of a cervical abscess in a Thoroughbred racehorse thought to be associated with ingestion of wire. Radiographic and ultrasonographic examination provided a diagnosis, and conservative treatment of the lesion with antimicrobials initially allowed the lesion to localise closer to the skin for safer surgical exploration. Intra-operative ultrasonographic imaging facilitated surgical access, removal of the foreign body, and drainage. Whil...
Radiographic diagnosis: foreign body in the distal interphalangeal joint. No abstract available
Use of intraoperative ultrasonography in six horses. Intraoperative ultrasonography was used in six horses to aid localization and removal of bone fragments (3 horses) and foreign bodies (3 horses). The ultrasound transducer was enclosed in a sterile sleeve containing sterile aqueous gel and the examination was performed after aseptic preparation of the surgical site. Using ultrasound guidance a needle was placed in contact with the bone fragment or foreign body and an incision was made along the path of the needle to expose and remove the object. This technique resulted in decreased operative time and minimal tissue dissection.
Lead foreign body arthropathy in a horse. A diagnosis of degenerative joint disease secondary to an intra-articular metallic foreign body in the right metacarpophalangeal joint was made in a Quarter Horse gelding. Arthroscopy, performed to evaluate the joint and remove the foreign body, revealed yellow discoloration of the articular cartilage and synovium, and blunting and proliferation of the synovium. The foreign body was identified as a lead sphere. Microscopic examination of synovium revealed chronic synovitis, with accumulation of hemosiderin and multifocal, mild mineralization. Another pigment was evident extracellularly in the ...
Penetrating lingual foreign bodies in three horses. Three horses examined for complaints of ptyalism and dysphagia were found to have metallic lingual foreign bodies. Metallic foreign bodies were located by oral examination combined with radiography. In 1 horse clinical signs resolved without removal of the foreign body. The foreign body was extracted via an oral approach in the second horse; a mandibular symphysiotomy and radiographic guidance were necessary for removal in the third horse. In all 3 cases, the presenting clinical signs subsided.
[2 cases of ‘hardware’ foreign objects in ponies]. An obstruction of the small intestine was suspected in two ponies with colic. At surgery and at necropsy, the cause of the colic appeared to be an inflammation process caused by perforation of the jejunum by a piece of wire. One pony recovered after laparotomy and enterectomy, but had to be put down eight weeks later because of severe laminitis. The other pony was euthanized immediately after clinical evaluation.
Metallic foreign bodies in the mouth or pharynx of horses: seven cases (1983-1989). Seven horses with metallic foreign bodies in the mouth or pharynx were examined at the Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital from 1983 to 1989. The horses had variable clinical signs, such as purulent nasal discharge, swelling of the throatlatch area, and dyspnea. Most of the horses had clinical signs for more than 2 weeks, and had no or only temporary improvement with conservative medical treatment (antibiotics, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). The definitive diagnostic test in all of the cases was radiography, which also aided in the plan for surgical removal of the fo...
Evaluation of epiglottic augmentation by use of polytetrafluoroethylene paste in horses. Epiglottic augmentation was evaluated in 7 horses, using 7 ml of polytetrafluoroethylene (polytef) paste injected submucosally on the ventral surface of the epiglottis. In 6 horses, an Arnold-Bruning intracordal injection syringe, specifically designed to inject polytef into paralyzed vocal folds in human beings, was used. At necropsy 60 days after surgery, group mean thickness measurement 20 mm from the epiglottic tip was 40% greater (P less than 0.01) and, at the epiglottic attachment of the aryepiglottic fold, was 29% greater (P less than 0.01) in the 6 polytef-augmented horses than in clin...
Wounds associated with osseous sequestration and penetrating foreign bodies. Nonhealing wounds can present a frustrating clinical challenge to the veterinary practitioner. In many cases, healing is delayed by the presence of a foreign body or sequestrum; a review of wounds complicated by the presence of osseous sequestration and penetrating foreign bodies is presented. The typical signs include delayed wound healing and the presence of serous to exudative drainage, which may vary from intermittent to continuous. The use of radiographic or sonographic imaging modalities is often of value in reaching a diagnosis. Removal of the sequestra or foreign body is generally cura...
Use of intraoperative ultrasonography to identify a cervical foreign body. A case report. 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 obstru...