Small Intestine

Surgical management of a proximal duodenal hawthorn impaction in a horse

“…Anterior enteritis cases presenting with colic signs and tachycardia will often respond to decompression by becoming quiet, settled, with a reduced heart rate and resolution of pain 24. This differs from obstructive lesions where the horse will improve for only a short period 2. This was shown in this case ultimately leading to an exploratory laparotomy for further investigation and definitive diagnosis.…”

“…Often abdominocentesis confirms a strangulating lesion, typically producing a serosanguinous sample with raised protein, red and white blood cells due to intestinal wall compromise 5. However, if tested early in the disease process, strangulating lesions may also produce a relatively normal sample2 and so other tests and clinical appearance will be relied upon. In reported cases of duodenal impaction, peritoneal fluid samples have been largely normal5 but two reports have noted increased nucleated cell counts, white blood cells and total protein 6 12.…”

“…Given the obstruction resolved, there was no need for an enterotomy or enterectomy in this case reducing complication risks. Peritonitis and enterotomy site dehiscence are rare postoperative complications in most studies2 but would still be considered when deciding between enterotomy and manual massage. Mechanical obstruction at the enterotomy site postoperatively could lead to complications that may contribute to postoperative ileus, stricture and adhesion formation 2.…”

Mesenteric haemangiopericytoma as a cause of ileal strangulation in a horse

“…Among all the cases of horses referred with colic signs, the small intestine is involved in 18–60 per cent, with a median of 34 per cent (Fugaro and Coté 2001, Freeman 2012), and the ileum is involved in 41–46 per cent of these cases (Edwards 1981, Kersjes and others 1988, Edwards 1992). In all, 58–84 per cent of small intestine colics in horses are caused by strangulating obstructions (Phillips and Walmsley 1993, Vachon and Fischer 1995, Freeman and others 2000), often due to pedunculated lipomas.…”

“…Pedunculated lipomas are the cause of 0.25–17 per cent of all colics in horses requiring surgery (Freeman and Schaeffer 2001, Garcia-Seco and others 2005). Other common causes of small intestine strangulating obstructions include volvulus, hernias (inguinal, umbilical, diaphragmatic, mesenteric and epiploic foramen) and intussusception (Freeman 2012). Abdominal tumours described in the abdomen of the horse include lymphomas, intestinal adenoma and adenocarcinomas, leiomyoma, leiomyosarcomas, ganglioneuromas and intestinal carcinoids; however, the incidence of these tumours in causing intestinal obstruction is very low (Taylor and others 2006).…”