Rectal biopsy diagnosis in horses with clinical signs of intestinal disorders: a retrospective study of 116 cases.

The research article discusses a retrospective study on the diagnosis of intestinal disorders in horses through examinations of rectal biopsies. The study analyzes the rectal biopsy specimens taken from 116 horses showing symptoms of intestinal diseases over a period of ten years from 1980-1990.

Methodology

• The study processed and evaluated the histology of rectal biopsy specimens collected from 116 horses aged 1-18 years, exhibiting symptoms of intestinal diseases.
• An autopsy was carried out on 40 horses and the results were compared with biopsy results.
• The control group constituted 30 healthy horses, age 4-22 years, from which biopsy specimens and post mortem rectal tissue were collected.
• Most of the clinical cases (105 of them) had a biopsy only once, while there were repeat biopsies in 11 cases.

Findings

• The biopsy specimens indicated pathological changes in 60 of the horses.
• Pathologies were classified into various categories such as acute, chronic or chronic active simple proctitis, granulomatous enteritis, eosinophilic granulomatosis/gastroenteritis, eosinophilic proctitis, erosive/ulcerative proctitis, pseudomembranous proctitis, proctitis with vasculitis, and malignant lymphoma.
• In the control group, mild scattered neutrophil infiltration in the lamina propria was normal but neutrophils in crypt or surface epithelia were considered abnormal findings.
• There was sometimes Goblet cell depletion or hyperplasia accompanying inflammation, which is a noteworthy point in the study.
• The study also discovered a link between simple proctitis with malignant lymphoma and various inflammatory disorders of the gastrointestinal tract.

Conclusion

• The most significant feature of eosinophilic granulomatosis was the reduction of acid mucins in Goblet cells.
• The biopsy specimens successfully diagnosed eosinophilic granulomatosis/gastroenteritis and granulomatous enteritis in 6 out of 12 cases, and 4 out of 9 cases respectively, confirmed later through autopsy.
• The research concludes that rectal biopsy is a helpful method in evaluating intestinal diseases in horses, thus proving its utility in veterinary medicine.