Pedunculated lipomas as a cause of intestinal obstruction in horses: 17 cases (1983-1990).

The research article investigates and presents the case studies of 17 horses treated for colic caused by pedunculated lipomas between 1983 to 1990. The study gives a clear picture of the demographics of the affected horses, clinical examination findings, treatment procedures, and both short-term and long-term survival rates.

Demographics of Affected Horses

• The average age of affected horses was 16.6 years, ranging from 10 to 26 years.
• This average age was notably higher than the population of horses evaluated for colic in the same period.
• Geldings (neutered male horses) comprised a significant majority of the affected horses, at 76.5%.

Clinical Examination Findings

• The range for nasogastric reflux (fluid flowing back into the stomach through a tube) varied between 1 and 16 litres in 8 horses, and in 9 horses, it was not obtained.
• The physical examination done via the rectum revealed small intestinal distention in 13 horses, displaced large colon in 7 horses, and large colon impaction in 2 horses.
• Abnormal peritoneal fluid, which is the fluid in the abdominal cavity, was observed in 11 out of the 12 horses it could be successfully obtained from.

Treatment and Results

• Medical treatment was unsuccessful in one horse, which was then euthanized.
• Surgery was carried out on 16 horses, with the lipomas removed either blindly (in 5 horses) or using an externalization and removal process (in 6 horses). The method used for lipoma removal was not recorded for 5 horses.
• The ileum and/or jejunum (parts of the small intestine) were strangulated in 15 horses, the small colon was strangulated in 1 horse, and the jejunum was obstructed in another horse.
• The intestines’ length that got resected during these surgeries ranged from 0.15 to 7.2 meters.

Survival and Fatality Rates

• Fourteen horses survived the surgery, and 11 of those were able to leave the hospital, giving a short-term survival rate of 78.6%.
• With 2 horses lost to follow-up and not included in these calculations, 6 out of the remaining 12 horses were alive between 2 and 56 months following the surgery, making for a long-term survival rate of 50%.
• 9 out of 15 horses died or had to be euthanized, thereby a fatality rate of 60% was found.