Clinical and intestinal histologic features of horses treated for recurrent colic: 66 cases (2006-2015).

The study investigates the medical and intestinal histologic features in horses suffering from repeated cases of colic and seeks to identify any possible links between initial clinical signs, biopsy method, histologic diagnosis, and the outcome 1 year post-discharge from the hospital. The research found that a substantial proportion of horses with recurring colic had an inflammatory gastrointestinal disease and that using a rectal biopsy alone was less likely to provide a precise histologic diagnosis.

Study Design and Procedure

• The study employed a retrospective case series approach, involving 66 horses that had experienced recurrent colic.
• The horses’ gastrointestinal samples had been previously submitted for histologic examination.
• The histologic diagnoses were classified into inflammatory, ischemic, neoplastic, undiagnosed, and others.
• Initial clinical features of the horses, biopsy methodology, histologic diagnosis, and outcome 1 year after discharge (alive vs. dead & persistence of recurrent colic) were examined for any possible relationships.

Findings and Results

• Of the 66 horses, 36 (55%) were diagnosed with an inflammatory disease.
• Horses that only underwent rectal biopsy were significantly more likely (14.4 times) to not receive a histologic diagnosis compared with those that utilized other biopsy methods.
• In multiple variable modeling, cases of persistent recurrent colic (15.2 times) and a history of weight loss (4.9 times) were significantly associated with the outcome (alive vs dead) 1 year post-surgery.
• No significant association was found between corticosteroid treatment and outcome.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance

• A high proportion of horses suffering from recurrent colic have inflammatory gastrointestinal disease.
• If the biopsy methodology only involves rectal biopsy, there is a higher chance it does not result in a histologic diagnosis.
• The usage of corticosteroids in horses with inflammatory gastrointestinal diseases did not show a significant association with the outcome, but this finding indicates a need for further investigation in this area.