Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Pregnancy loss due to amnionitis in anglo-arabian mare-Case report.
- Journal:
- Reproduction in domestic animals = Zuchthygiene
- Year:
- 2020
- Authors:
- Campos, Isabela et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Pathology and Veterinary Clinic · Brazil
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A 7-year-old Anglo-Arabian mare experienced a pregnancy loss at 240 days of gestation, which is quite far along in her pregnancy. She had a history of stillbirths, and tests were done on both her and the fetus to find out what went wrong. The results showed that the abortion was caused by a non-infectious condition called chronic amnionitis (inflammation of the protective membrane around the fetus), along with issues in the placenta that affected its ability to provide nutrients. This case emphasizes the need for regular ultrasound checks during horse pregnancies to catch any problems early. Overall, the findings confirmed that the tests used were effective in diagnosing the issues with the placenta.
Abstract
The amnion is a layer of the foetal membrane that has mechanical protection function and allows expansion and growth. The diseases that affect amnion have rarely been reported in horses. Amnionitis and funiculitis have been implicated as components of abortions as observed in abortions caused by the mare reproductive loss syndrome. Here, we report an abortion at 240-day gestation of a 7-year-old Anglo-Arabian mare with a history of previous stillbirth. Blood samples from both mare and foetus were collected for serological testing. Fragments from the placenta were taken for macroscopic and histopathological examinations. The results of these tests ruled out leptospirosis and concluded that the cause of the abortion was non-infectious chronic amnionitis. Moreover, the decreased vascularization in the placenta was consistent with placental insufficiency. This case highlights the importance of monthly ultrasound monitoring in equine pregnancy in order to diagnose placental insufficiency. The study also confirmed the efficiency of the histopathological examination for the definitive diagnosis of placental inflammation and for the study of foetal vascularization to rule out placental insufficiency in equine reproduction.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31916285/