Unusual left colon displacement and clockwise torsion in a 10-month-old Arab filly: A case report.
Abstract: In this case report, we present an unusual clockwise torsion of left colon around mesenteric root in a 10-month-old Arab filly, highlighting the clinical presentation, diagnostic approach and successful surgical intervention. A 10-month-old Arab filly weighing approximately 250 kg was referred with signs of acute abdominal pain. The history revealed anorexia, restlessness and severe abdominal pain that had begun the previous day. The local practitioner had previously administered flunixin meglumine, an analgesic, but it proved ineffective in relieving the pain. Upon physical examination, the filly exhibited sweating, a body temperature of 38.5°C, tachycardia (65 beats per minute) and tachypnea (25 breaths per minute). Due to the severity of the colic and the lack of response to the conservative treatments, surgical intervention was deemed necessary. An exploratory midline celiotomy was performed to evaluate the abdominal organs. During the examination, no obvious primary lesions were identified in the evaluated organs. However, a restriction in exteriorizing the left colon's length was observed. Further examination revealed an unusual clockwise torsion of the left colon that displaced in left to the right side around the mesenteric root; thereby, pelvic flexure was located in the normal anatomical position with a short length. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of clockwise torsion and an atypical displacement of the left colon in horses. The surgical correction of the displacement was successfully performed. The filly showed improvement post-surgery and did not exhibit any complications during the recovery period.
© 2024 The Author(s). Veterinary Medicine and Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Publication Date: 2024-07-20 PubMed ID: 39031749PubMed Central: PMC11190845DOI: 10.1002/vms3.1481Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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The study reports on an unusual case of left colon displacement and clockwise torsion in a 10-month-old Arabian horse, diagnosed and successfully treated via surgical intervention.
Introduction and Background
- The study involves a unique case of a 10-month-old Arabian filly (young female horse)—an occurrence noted by the authors as the first of its kind to their knowledge.
- The filly showed signs of acute abdominal pain that commenced a day before she was brought to a veterinary facility. Despite treatment by flunixin meglumine, an analgesic administered by a local practitioner, the filly’s pain persisted. Along with abdominal pain, the horse had demonstrated symptoms like anorexia and restless behaviour.
Clinical Examination
- Physical examination of the filly revealed symptoms of fidgeting, increased body temperature (38.5°C), rapid heartbeat (tachycardia) at 65 beats per minute, and accelerated respiratory speed (tachypnea) at 25 breaths per minute.
- On account of the severity of the colic, or abdominal pain, the filly’s non-responsive nature to conservative treatments and the situation’s criticality, a decision was made for surgical intervention.
Surgical Findings and Intervention
- An exploratory midline celiotomy—a type of major abdominal surgery that opens the abdominal cavity for examination—was performed.
- The surgery didn’t find any specific primary lesions or abnormalities in the main organs studied. However, the left colon couldn’t be fully brought out which led to deeper examination.
- The review discovered an unusual clockwise torsion or twist of the left colon. It had moved in a clockwise manner from its original place on the left side around the base of the mesentery.
- Also noted was the pelvic flexure found in the normal anatomical state but with a shortened length.
- The unusual displacement was surgically corrected, an operation declared successful as the filly started to show positive signs of recovery after the surgery.
Surgical Outcome
- The surgery was successful and the filly showed signs of notable improvement post-operatively.
- No complications were witnessed during the recovery period following the surgery. This suggests a successful surgical intervention and recovery in the filly.
Cite This Article
APA
Azizi S, Mazaheri-Khameneh R, Davoodi F, Gooran MM, Ghoreishi SS, Mozaffari N, Dalir-Naghadeh B.
(2024).
Unusual left colon displacement and clockwise torsion in a 10-month-old Arab filly: A case report.
Vet Med Sci, 10(4), e1481.
https://doi.org/10.1002/vms3.1481 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Surgery and Diagnostic Imaging, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran.
- Department of Surgery and Diagnostic Imaging, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran.
- Department of Surgery and Diagnostic Imaging, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran.
- Department of Surgery and Diagnostic Imaging, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran.
- Department of Surgery and Diagnostic Imaging, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran.
- Department of Surgery and Diagnostic Imaging, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran.
- Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Horse Diseases / surgery
- Horse Diseases / diagnosis
- Female
- Horses
- Torsion Abnormality / veterinary
- Torsion Abnormality / surgery
- Colonic Diseases / veterinary
- Colonic Diseases / surgery
- Colon / surgery
- Colon / pathology
Conflict of Interest Statement
The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.
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