Hemorrhagic fibrinonecrotic duodenitis-proximal jejunitis in horses: 20 cases (1977-1984).

This research article focuses on a retrospective study into a specific small intestinal disease in horses, which caused acute colic and affected the proximal portion of the small intestine. Further details of the disease, its characteristics, and treatment options were researched through the examination of 20 case records.

Disease Overview

• The disease studied in this article was observed to cause acute colic in horses, specifically affecting the proximal portion of their small intestine.
• It is characterized by severe to moderate pain which eventually gives way to symptoms like depression, fever, and slight enlargement of the affected small intestine.
• Other symptoms included gastric reflux, an increase in white blood cells (leukocytosis), and elevated levels of total protein in the peritoneal fluid.

Disease Characteristics

• Detailed examination of the diseased intestines showed visible damages, such as hemorrhage and a yellowish discoloration.
• Detailed histopathologic examination of the intestines revealed various anomalies such as swelling beneath the mucous membrane (submucosal edema), the infiltration of neutrophils (a type of white blood cell) into the submucosal and laminal propria (layers of the intestine), and sloughing or shedding at the mucosal villous tips (small, finger-like projections on the intestinal surface).
• The advanced stages of this disease were marked by a large-scale sloughing of the mucosa with transmural edema (swelling across the entire intestinal wall), widespread hemorrhage, fibrin deposition, and consequential necrosis (death of cells or tissues).

Treatment and Outcomes

• The actual cause of this disease could not be determined in the study. Despite this, researchers did ascertain that bypassing a significant portion of affected small intestine greatly alleviated the severe gastric reflux symptoms in horses.
• Such bypass was found helpful in 6 out of the 20 cases studied, thereby pointing to its potential as a treatment path worth exploring further in horses suffering from this type of intestinal disease.