Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Incarceration of the small colon through a rent in the gastrosplenic ligament in a pony.
- Journal:
- Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
- Year:
- 1999
- Authors:
- Rhoads, W S & Parks, A H
- Affiliation:
- Veterinary Teaching Hospital · United States
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A 10-year-old castrated male pony was seen by a veterinarian because he had been showing signs of abdominal pain that came and went for three days. The vet discovered that part of the pony's small colon was trapped through a tear in a ligament near the stomach and spleen. The affected section of the colon was surgically removed and then reconnected. After the surgery, the pony recovered well and was able to return to his normal activities. This case highlights that while it's rare, a trapped small colon should be considered when diagnosing abdominal pain in horses.
Abstract
A 10-year-old castrated male pony was examined for intermittent signs of abdominal pain of 3 days' duration. An incarceration of the small colon through a rent in the gastrosplenic ligament was found. Resection and end-to-end anastomosis were performed on the affected portion of the small colon. The pony recovered and returned to its previous degree of activity. Incarceration of the small intestine and large colon through rents in the gastrosplenic ligament are documented, although involvement of the small intestine is more common. To the best of our knowledge, incarceration of the small colon has not been reported. Although a rare event, incarceration of the small colon in the gastrosplenic ligament should be considered in the differential diagnosis list for horses with intermittent signs of abdominal pain.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9926014/