Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Congenital urachal and urinary bladder defects leading to uroperitoneum in a neonatal quarter horse colt.
- Journal:
- The Canadian veterinary journal = La revue veterinaire canadienne
- Year:
- 2024
- Authors:
- Karam, Bruno et al.
- Affiliation:
- Pilchuck Veterinary Hospital · United States
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A 5-hour-old quarter horse colt was brought in because he was very tired and had a swollen belly. The vets suspected he had fluid in his abdomen, which was confirmed through imaging and further tests. During surgery, they found that he had a birth defect affecting a part of his urinary system, specifically the urachus (a structure that connects the bladder to the umbilical cord) and the bladder itself. After the surgery, he recovered well and is now a healthy 4-year-old gelding who competes in western performance events. This case highlights that newborn foals with similar symptoms may have treatable congenital issues, especially if they don't develop complications.
Abstract
A newborn (5 h old) quarter horse colt was presented because of lethargy and severe abdominal distention. Uroperitoneum was suspected during initial workup, based on sonographic imaging and peritoneal fluid analysis. Definitive diagnosis was confirmed during exploratory celiotomy. Surgery revealed a congenitally abnormal allantoic stalk/urachal remnant and a failure of embryological fusion of the dorsal bladder wall. Recovery was successful and the animal is now a healthy, 4-year-old western performance gelding. These specific congenital abnormalities have not been previously documented in the peer-reviewed literature. Key clinical message: Congenital abnormalities of the urachus and the urinary bladder should be suspected in foals with uroperitoneum at birth. Cases involving congenital abnormalities of the urachus and urinary bladder might have favorable prognoses if animals retain adequate function of the urogenital tract and do not have secondary complications before and following surgery.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39494178/