Ultrasonography and Surgical Treatment of an Unusual Case of Urethral Calculus in an Arabian Horse.

This research article presents a case study of an Arabian horse diagnosed with obstructive urolithiasis, a urinary tract disorder caused by a large stone in the urethra, which was successfully treated using surgical intervention.

Introduction and Symptom Identification

• The research began with a clinical assessment of an 11-year-old Arabian stallion that had decreased food and water intake, colicky pain, and anuria, which means inability or cessation of urine production.
• The stallion’s symptoms were evaluated through tactile examination, revealing rhythmic contractions of the urethra and a hard mass in the penile urethra. A bulged stretch of the urethra above the mass indicated obstruction, which was confirmed by an unsuccessful attempt to insert a urethral catheter. The veterinary practitioners also identified a distended and rigid urinary bladder through a rectal examination, further confirming the obstruction hypothesis.

Use of Ultrasonography for Diagnosis

• Ultrasonography was employed as a diagnostic method and confirmed the presence of a urinary stone, or calculus, in the horse’s urethra. The calculus was identified as a distinct, high-echo reflection curve with a shadowing effect – typical characteristics of such stones.
• Utilizing this technology, clinicians could definitively identify the stone as a calcium carbonate urethral calculus, displayed under ultrasound as an arch-like, irregularly thick line.

Surgical Intervention and Recovery

• After diagnosis, the stallion underwent subischial urethrotomy – a specific surgical procedure for urinary stones – under epidural anesthesia.
• The report indicates that the horse made an uneventful recovery; that is, the surgical procedure did not lead to any complications. Moreover, there was no recurrence of the initial condition over the 12 months of follow-up period.

Conclusion

• The study concludes that obstructive urolithiasis can be effectively diagnosed through a combination of clinical, rectal, and ultrasound examinations and that subischial urethrotomy can be a successful treatment method for such urinary obstructions among horses.