Ovarian torsion as a cause of colic in a neonatal foal.

The research article describes a case wherein a severely painful abdominal condition – ovarian torsion – was diagnosed and successfully treated in a week-old Morgan filly, a rare instance in veterinary science. The filly demonstrated normality two years after the necessary surgical intervention.

Introduction and Symptoms

• The case study concerns a one-week-old Morgan filly (a young female horse) suffering from sudden severe abdominal pain or colic. The pain episodes had continued for seven hours before the foal was brought in for veterinary evaluation.
• While the initial physical examination showed no significant abnormalities, a radiographic examination of the abdomen showed a slight swelling of the small intestine. This symptom manifested despite no apparent disturbances in the filly’s gastroscopic indicators.
• The foal was held under observation for several more hours as it exhibited continuous discomfort in the abdominal area.

Diagnosis and Treatment

• Considering the absence of clear anomalies from the gastroscopic evaluation and the persistence of abdominal pain, the team decided to perform an exploratory laparotomy (a surgical examination of the abdominal cavity).
• The only palpable abnormality discovered during the laparotomy was the infarction (tissue death due to lack of blood supply) of the left ovary. The cause was traced to a 720 degrees torsion (twisting) of the mesovarium – the suspensory ligament of the ovary.
• The ovary was surgically removed after ligation of the vascular pedicle (the connective blood vessels).
• The filly showed satisfactory recovery from the surgery and anesthesia and was discharged from the hospital five days after the surgical intervention.

Follow-up and Conclusion

• Two years following the surgery, the filly exhibited no abnormal clinical signs, demonstrating a successful treatment.
• The article reports an apparent lack of veterinary literature on ovarian torsion as a cause of colic in horses, marking this case as quite unique.
• In conclusion, the study posits that fairly rare conditions like ovarian torsion should not be dismissed when diagnosing sudden abdominal discomfort in young female horses, particularly when there are no clear abnormalities from gastroscopic evaluations and initial physical examinations.