Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Distal aortic aneurysm presumed to be secondary to an infected umbilical artery in a foal.
- Journal:
- New Zealand veterinary journal
- Year:
- 2012
- Authors:
- Archer, R M et al.
- Affiliation:
- Massey University Veterinary Teaching Hospital
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A 3-month-old female Warmblood foal was brought to the vet after having colic (abdominal pain) and a fever for five days. She was also peeing a lot and had an increased white blood cell count, indicating an infection. During surgery, the vet found that a remnant of the umbilical artery was swollen and stuck to the bladder, and it was connected to an aneurysm (an abnormal bulge) in the distal aorta (the main artery in the body). Sadly, the foal was euthanized, and further examination showed that the aneurysm contained a large blood clot and signs of infection in the surrounding tissues. This case highlights that an infection in the umbilical area can lead to serious complications like this aneurysm, which can cause colic in foals.
Abstract
CASE HISTORY: A 3-month-old female Warmblood foal was presented after displaying signs of colic with pyrexia for 5 days. CLINICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL FINDINGS: The foal continued to show signs of colic, frequently passed urine, and was pyrexic with an elevated white blood cell count. The umbilical stalk was thickened but there was no evidence of purulent material. Exploratory laparotomy revealed an enlarged left umbilical artery remnant tightly adhered to the bladder wall. The left umbilical artery continued to an aneurysm involving the distal aorta. The foal was subject to euthanasia and post-mortem examination confirmed a spherical aortic aneurysm, in the dorsal midline caudal to the kidneys that contained a large thrombus. Histopathological examination revealed inflammation and necrosis of the tunica intima and tunica media of the left umbilical artery with suppuration and bacterial colonies evident in the periarterial tissues. DIAGNOSIS: Infected aortic aneurysm presumably caused by an umbilical artery infection. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: A previously undetected umbilical infection appears to have resulted in an unusual delayed complication causing signs of colic in a foal. Veterinarians should be aware of this condition, and the possibility that it may be a cause of signs of colic in foals. Diagnosis based on ultrasonography should be possible, but may require sedation, visceral analgesia and careful examination.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22175433/