Barium swallow as an aid to the diagnosis of grass sickness.

This research study used barium swallows to track the passage of food from the throat to the stomach in 25 horses suspected of having grass sickness. It was found that all of the horses confirmed to have grass sickness showed defective esophageal motility as evidenced by the barium swallow test.

Research Objectives and Methodology

• The research was focused on finding a reliable ante-mortem diagnostic method for grass sickness, a disease found in horses.
• Twenty-five horses suspected of having grass sickness were selected for the study.
• The chosen method for examination was a barium swallow, a diagnostic tool that involves swallowing a barium solution that coats the esophagus and allows for the tracking of food passage from the throat (pharynx) to the stomach.
• The passage of the barium solution was tracked through radiographic images, a technique known as image intensification.

Findings and Interpretation

• From the twenty-five horses examined for the study, eighteen were confirmed to have grass sickness through post-mortem examination.
• All of these confirmed cases demonstrated defective oesophageal motility, noticeable from the radiographic tracking of the swallowed barium solution.
• The defective oesophageal motility was defined as a lack of normal, rhythmic contraction and relaxation in the passage of the barium bolus from the pharynx to the stomach, which is indicative of grass sickness.
• It is important to note that although these findings are significant, the research acknowledges that the specificity of this abnormality as a definitive diagnostic marker for grass sickness could not be fully proven.

Implications and Conclusion

• Despite its lack of proven specificity, the technique of barium swallow offers a valuable tool in diagnosing grass sickness in horses before death.
• More research is needed to further confirm the specificity and reliability of this method in diagnosing grass sickness.
• This study’s findings add to the limited knowledge available on ante-mortem diagnosis for grass sickness, introducing a promising avenue of approach towards effective, early diagnosis.