Clinical signs and treatment of chronic uterine torsion in two mares.

This research study assessed the clinical signs and treatment methods of chronic uterine torsion in two mares. The mares, suffering from uterine torsions lasting 2 and 4 weeks, exhibited signs of fever, anemia, rapid heartbeat, loss of appetite, and depression. After undergoing cesarean sections and medical procedures to treat the torsion and remove the ovaries and uterus, the mares recovered with minor complications and were able to return to their regular activities.

Study Overview and Initial Findings

• This study focuses on chronic uterine torsion, a condition wherein the uterus rotates around its long axis. Two mares with this condition were examined. They were found to have uterine torsions of 2 and 4 weeks’ duration.
• Common symptoms in both mares were fever (pyrexic), anemia (low red blood cell count or hemoglobin), rapid heartbeat (tachycardia), lack of appetite (anorexia), signs of depression, and abnormal uterus and uterine contents found during a transrectal examination.
• The mares’ conditions were critical as they were in the late stages of gestation, making their cases atypical from most uterine torsion cases described in literature.

Treatments and Outcomes

• The mares underwent cesarean sections, which is a surgical operation to remove the foal from the uterus. During this operation, the medical team also lysed adhesions between the uterus and the peritoneum, a thin membrane that lines the abdomen.
• They also corrected the torsion (unnatural twisting) in the uterus and performed an ovariohysterectomy, a procedure to remove the ovaries and uterus.
• After the treatments, both mares recovered with only minor complications. They were able to return to their function as riding horses, indicating a positive recovery.

Implication and Recommendations

• The observation of these cases implies that chronic uterine torsion should also be considered as a potential diagnosis in mares that are in the late stages of pregnancy but have vague clinical signs and different palpation findings than typically described in uterine torsion cases.
• The resolution of these cases also suggests that the prognosis for life can be good after treating chronic uterine torsion in mares using the combined procedures of ventral midline celiotomy, cesarean section, correction of the torsion, and ovariohysterectomy.