Esophageal obstruction in horses: a retrospective study of 34 cases.
Abstract: The major purpose of this investigation was to describe the causes, possible complications, and prognoses of horses with esophageal obstruction. Of 34 cases presenting with esophageal obstruction, 28 cases were due to impaction of ingesta. Obstruction due to pre-existing esophageal disease occurred in 4 horses with megaesophagus, in 1 horse with stricture in the upper third of the esophagus, and in 1 horse with esophageal diverticulum. There was no significant difference in the contamination of the trachea between horses that subsequently developed aspiration pneumonia and those that did not. The duration of esophageal obstruction prior to admission was significantly longer in horses that developed aspiration pneumonia (median 18, range 2-48 h) than in those horses that did not (median 4, range 0.5-48 h). Although the obstruction was relieved in all 34 horses, 4 were euthanized because of recurring obstruction due to megaesophagus (n = 2), esophageal diverticulum (n = 1), and esophageal stricture (n = 1).
Publication Date: 2000-03-30 PubMed ID: 10738598PubMed Central: PMC1476298
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- Journal Article
Summary
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This research article reviews 34 cases of horses with esophageal obstruction, a complicating condition with varied causes and potential complications. The study aims at understanding the causes, complications, and prognosis of this disorder and brings out findings that relate to impaction of ingesta, esophageal diseases, and the duration of obstruction, among other factors.
Understanding Esophageal Obstruction
In the study, esophageal obstruction, a significant health issue in horses, is examined thoroughly. The condition can be caused due to various reasons which can lead to further complications. Thirty-four cases formed the basis of this investigation.
- The research revealed that 28 out of the 34 cases were due to blockage from ingesta, which is the material ingested by an organism that will be digested for nutritional purpose.
Causes: Esophageal Diseases Contributing to the Obstruction
- Esophageal diseases forming pre-existing conditions also contributed to obstruction, with four cases being due to a condition called megaesophagus, a condition where the esophagus widens abnormally.
- One horse had an esophageal stricture, a condition where the esophagus’s upper third narrows, and one horse suffered from esophageal diverticulum, a condition characterized by an abnormal pouch in the esophagus wall.
Complications: Aspiration Pneumonia
- The study also examined the relation between esophageal obstruction and aspiration pneumonia by comparing the trachea’s contamination between horses that developed the pneumonia and those that did not. The contamination was found not to have a significant difference.
- However, a significant finding was the correlation between the duration of esophageal obstruction prior to admission and the development of aspiration pneumonia. Horses that developed pneumonia had a significantly longer median duration of obstruction (18 hours) as compared to those that did not (4 hours).
Prognosis: Euthanasia Due to Recurring Obstruction
- Though the obstruction was relieved in all horses, four of them were euthanized due to recurring obstruction from the aforementioned esophageal diseases – two from megaesophagus, one from esophageal diverticulum, and one due to esophageal stricture.
Cite This Article
APA
Feige K, Schwarzwald C, Fürst A, Kaser-Hotz B.
(2000).
Esophageal obstruction in horses: a retrospective study of 34 cases.
Can Vet J, 41(3), 207-210.
Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Clinic of Veterinary Internal Medicine, University of Zürich, Switzerland.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Esophageal Diseases / etiology
- Esophageal Diseases / pathology
- Esophageal Diseases / veterinary
- Esophageal Stenosis / etiology
- Esophageal Stenosis / pathology
- Esophageal Stenosis / veterinary
- Esophagus / pathology
- Female
- Horse Diseases / etiology
- Horse Diseases / pathology
- Horse Diseases / therapy
- Horses
- Male
- Prognosis
- Retrospective Studies
References
This article includes 5 references
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- Campbell-Beggs CL, Kiper ML, MacAllister C, Henry G, Roszel JF. Use of esophagoscopy in the diagnosis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in a horse.. J Am Vet Med Assoc 1993 Feb 15;202(4):617-8.
- King JN, Davies JV, Gerring EL. Contrast radiography of the equine oesophagus: effect of spasmolytic agents and passage of a nasogastric tube.. Equine Vet J 1990 Mar;22(2):133-5.
- Wolfers H, Böhm D. [Esophageal obstipation in the horse].. Tierarztl Prax Suppl 1985;1:108-11.
Citations
This article has been cited 7 times.- Zabady MK, Shawaf T. A retrospective study of choke (oesophageal obstruction) in 64 one-hump Dromedary camels (Camelus dromedarius) in Saudi Arabia.. Vet Rec Open 2022 Dec;9(1):e53.
- Migliorisi A, Barger A, Austin S, Foreman JH, Wilkins P. Hyponatremia in horses with septic pneumopathy.. J Vet Intern Med 2022 Sep;36(5):1820-1826.
- Nijdam P, Elmas C, Fugazzola MC. Treatment of an Esophageal Stricture in a 1-Month-Old Miniature Shetland Colt.. Case Rep Vet Med 2017;2017:3069419.
- Koenig JB, Silveira A, Cribb NC, Piat P, Laverty S, Sorge US. Clinical indications, complications, and long-term outcome of esophageal surgeries in 27 horses.. Can Vet J 2016 Dec;57(12):1257-1262.
- Prutton JS, Marks SL, Aleman M. Endoscopic Balloon Dilation of Esophageal Strictures in 9 Horses.. J Vet Intern Med 2015 Jul-Aug;29(4):1105-11.
- Gomez DE, Cribb NC, Arroyo LG, Desrochers A, Fecteau G, Nichols S. Endoscopic removal of esophageal and ruminal foreign bodies in 5 Holstein calves.. Can Vet J 2014 Oct;55(10):965-9.
- Yamout SZ, Magdesian KG, Tokarz DA, le Jeune SS. Intrathoracic pulsion diverticulum in a horse.. Can Vet J 2012 Apr;53(4):408-11.
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