Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Intermittent Haemoptysis due to an Aortobronchial Fistula in a Warmblood Mare.
- Journal:
- Journal of comparative pathology
- Year:
- 2016
- Authors:
- Versnaeyen, H et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Veterinary Pathology
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A 7-year-old warmblood mare suddenly started coughing up small amounts of blood. When the vet examined her, they didn't find any major issues, but blood tests showed she was mildly anemic and had low protein levels. After some tests, they discovered she had bleeding in her lungs and started her on antibiotics while keeping her calm and resting. Unfortunately, two weeks later, she was found dead with blood and frothy fluid coming from her nose. A post-mortem exam revealed she had a serious problem with a large blood vessel in her chest that had created an abnormal connection to her bronchial tubes, which is a very rare condition in animals.
Abstract
A 7-year-old warmblood mare showed sudden onset of mild intermittent haemoptysis. Clinical examination revealed no significant abnormalities. Haematological examination showed mild anaemia, hypoalbuminaemia and neutrophilia. Coagulation tests were normal. Endoscopic examination revealed unilateral pulmonary haemorrhage with blood clots in the bronchi and trachea. Treatment with antibiotics was started and the horse was given stable rest. Two weeks later, the horse was found dead with blood and frothy sputum leaking from the nostrils. Post-mortem examination revealed a large thoracic aortic aneurysm communicating with a pseudoaneurysm that had formed a fistula into a right bronchial branch. Microscopical examination of the aneurysm showed extensive medial fibrosis with prominent degeneration, fragmentation and mineralization of the elastic fibres and deposition of mucoid material in the tunica media. The pseudoaneurysm was lined by collagen bundles admixed with fibroblasts and a small amount of adipose tissue. Aortobronchial fistula is a rare condition in man that is usually associated with primary aortic pathology, most often aneurysms. To the authors' knowledge this is the first case of a fatal aortobronchial fistula in a horse or any other animal species.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27535296/