Internal Hemorrhage Related to Gestation in the Mare.

The research article discusses the impact of internal hemorrhaging during pregnancy in mares, specifically focusing on the morphological findings and considerations of the cause. The study was performed by conducting necropsies on ten mares that had died from internal bleeding during or post foaling.

Materials and Methods

• Complete necropsies were carried out on each case study, which involved a thorough examination of the deceased animal’s body.
• Key elements of the examination included studying both ruptured vessels and apparently normal vessels that were affected by the hemorrhage.
• These samples were fixed in buffered formalin – a common preservative in medical labs – and prepared for further examination using hematoxylin-eosin and orcein-Van Gieson stains, which are tools used to highlight the structure and composition of the tissues and to detect damage.

Results

• The results from the ten case studies are presented and summarised in Table I of the research paper.
• One key observation in almost every case was that a massive buildup of partially clotted blood was found between the leaves of the broad ligament on the affected side.
• This buildup had caused a tear in one leaf of the broad ligament, resulting in the release of blood into the peritoneal cavity, which is the area that contains the abdominal organs.
• It was found that when an external iliac artery (a major blood vessel in the lower body) ruptured, there was an accompanying hemorrhage in the pelvic cavity.
• The study highlights the serious and life-threatening implications of internal hemorrhaging in mares during gestation, most notably the rupture of major blood vessels and subsequent internal bleeding.