Use of Transabdominal Ultrasound and Maternal Hormone Testing for the Prenatal Monitoring of Equine Fetal Enlarged Bladder.

This study presents a case on equine fetal enlarged bladder, a rare urological disorder, tracked using ultrasound examinations and maternal hormone testing during a pony’s pregnancy. The progesterone hormone levels were tracked, varying from gestation to parturition.

Objective and Methods

• The objective of the study was to track the development of a rare urological disorder, the enlarged fetal bladder in horses, using ultrasound examinations and maternal hormone testing. This was done by focusing on a clinical case of an 8-year-old Hokkaido native pony which was impregnated by embryo transfer.
• Through transabdominal ultrasound examinations, the researchers could monitor the status of the fetus. The progress of the pregnancy was checked periodically, primarily focusing on the development of the fetal bladder and its abnormalities.
• Complementing the ultrasound investigation, maternal plasma progesterone concentration was also measured throughout the gestation period. This hormonal evaluation gave crucial insights into the hormonal variations associated with the pregnancy and the disorder.

Findings and Conclusion

• With the advancement of gestation, it was seen that the bladder volume of the fetus increased. Moreover, a second bladder was observed at 257 days of gestation.
• Despite these bladder abnormalities, no unusual development was noticed in the fetal kidneys.
• From the hormonal evaluation, it was discovered that the maternal plasma progesterone concentration rose from the 36th week of gestation until parturition. It underlined the connection between progesterone and the enlarged bladder condition.
• After observing and recording the ultrasound and hormonal profiles deeply connected with this rare disorder case, parturition was induced at the 363rd day of gestation, leading to the successful delivery of the foal. The study signifies the first-ever detailed description of the development of equine fetal enlarged bladder.