Ileocecal intussusception in horses: 26 cases (1981-1988).
Abstract: The case records of 26 horses with ileocecal intussusception over a 7-year period were reviewed to determine clinical features of the disease and response to treatment. The median age of horses with ileocecal intussusception was 1 year and ranged from 2 weeks to 19 years. There was no apparent gender or breed predisposition to this disease. An acute form of ileocecal intussusception was diagnosed in 19 horses with signs of moderate to severe abdominal pain of less than or equal to 24 hours' duration, and a chronic form was diagnosed in 7 horses with signs of intermittent, mild to moderate abdominal pain of more than 3 days' duration. Horses with chronic ileocecal intussusception had a history of weight loss or failure to gain weight, slow growth, poor appetite, low-grade pyrexia, and postprandial signs of abdominal pain. At surgery, the involved segments of intestine (intussusceptum and intussuscipiens) in chronic cases were 2 to 10 cm long, and the ileum and much of the distal portion of the jejunum were flaccid, dilated, and thick walled. In the acute cases, the length of involved intestine ranged from 6 to 457 cm. Whereas only 1 of 7 chronic intussusceptions (14%) could be reduced, 9 of 19 (47%) acute intussusceptions were reducible. Surgical treatment included resection and jejunocecostomy (6 horses), partial resection through a cecotomy and a side-to-side jejunocecostomy (2 horses), and a side-to-side ileocecostomy or jejunocecostomy without resection (12 horses, 7 of which had chronic intussusception). Six horses with acute intussusception were euthanatized before or during surgery.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Publication Date: 1990-01-01 PubMed ID: 2295546
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- Journal Article
Summary
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The research paper looks into the clinical features and treatment responses of ileocecal intussusception, a disease of the intestinal tract, occurring in 26 horses over 7 years. The study finds no evidence of a gender or breed disposition to the disease and distinguishes between acute and chronic forms, with data on surgical treatments and outcomes also provided.
Objective of the Study
- The study’s purpose was to review 26 cases of ileocecal intussusception in the horses recorded over a period of 7 years in order to comprehend the clinical manifestations of the disease and observe how these horses responded to their treatments.
Study Population
- The patients included in the study were horses, spanning an age range from 2 weeks to 19 years, but primarily being one-year-olds, with no apparent gender or breed bias for the disease.
Nature of the Disease
- In horses, two forms of ileocecal intussusception were recognized – an acute form diagnosed in 19 horses and a chronic form in 7 horses.
- Acute ileocecal intussusception was characterized by moderate to severe abdominal discomfort lasting for less than or up to 24 hours.
- Chronic form of the disease manifested as mild to moderate intermittent abdominal discomfort lasting for more than 3 days accompanied by a history of weight loss or lack of weight gain, low-grade fever, poor appetite, slow growth, and signs of abdominal pain after eating.
Characteristics of the Intussuscepted Intestines
- The affected intestinal segments were observed to be flaccid, dilated, and had thickened walls, with their length varying from 2 to 10 cm in chronic cases and 6 to 457 cm in acute cases.
Surgical Treatment and Outcomes
- The study shows that chronic intussusceptions were difficult to treat, with successful reduction in only 14% of cases.
- Acute intussusceptions were moderately treatable, with successful reductions in about 47% of cases.
- The surgical procedures included resection and jejunocecostomy, partial resection with a side-to-side jejunocecostomy, and a side-to-side ileocecostomy or jejunocecostomy without resection.
- Unfortunately, six horses with acute intussusception were euthanized either prior to surgery or during the course of the operation.
Cite This Article
APA
Ford TS, Freeman DE, Ross MW, Richardson DW, Martin BB, Madison JB.
(1990).
Ileocecal intussusception in horses: 26 cases (1981-1988).
J Am Vet Med Assoc, 196(1), 121-126.
Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Clinical Studies, New Bolton Center, George D. Widener Hospital for Large Animals, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Kennett Square 19348.
MeSH Terms
- Acute Disease
- Animals
- Breeding
- Chronic Disease
- Female
- Follow-Up Studies
- Horse Diseases / surgery
- Horses
- Ileal Diseases / surgery
- Ileal Diseases / veterinary
- Ileocecal Valve
- Intussusception / surgery
- Intussusception / veterinary
- Male
- Retrospective Studies
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