Equine pancreatic disease

Abstract

Abstract. Equine pancreatic disease is considered rare, and successful treatment is limited. Additionally, antemortem diagnosis of equine pancreatitis is difficult because of the lack of definitive diagnostic tests. Although a paucity of information exists on this entity in the horse, pancreatic disease has typically been shown to be secondary to other gastrointestinal, hepatic, and endocrine conditions. No predisposition based on age, sex, or breed appears to exist, but several conditions predispose a horse to pancreatitis, including grain overload, endocrine disease, and parasite migration. A retrospective search of cases within the archive of the University of Tennessee necropsy database revealed only 4 cases during a 9-year period (2005)(2006)(2007)(2008)(2009)(2010)(2011)(2012)(2013)(2014). In only 1 case was pancreatic disease considered primary, and in the other 3, pathologies often seen concurrently with pancreatic lesions were identified. These included cecal rupture, colonic displacement, neoplasia (lymphocytic leukemia), and pituitary adenoma. A review of available historical data and associated laboratory results are included with the gross and histologic characteristics of pancreatic lesions, in these 4 newly reported cases.

Occurrence of elevated amylase and lipase enzymes in horses with gastrointestinal disease

“…In the present study, colic signs were not the criterion for inclusion in all cases, as some horses were presented with more subtle and unspecific signs of gastrointestinal or hepatic disease. Results suggest pancreatic damage to be a common secondary finding in gastrointestinal disease which occurs more frequently than primary pancreatitis does (Yamout et al 2012, Newman 2015. These published reference intervals with plasma lipase activity < 21 IU/L (Desjardins et al 2017, Johnson et al 2019) and < 42 IU/L, respectively (Lanz et al 2022) may deviate from reference intervals in our study probably due to different methods.…”

“…Pancreatic disease has been described for decades as a rare disorder in equids and is diagnosed mostly at necropsy due to lack of available and reliable antemortem diagnostic tests (Higginson 1937, Talbot et al 2011, Yamout et al 2012, Edery et al 2015, Newman 2015. Both primary and secondary pancreatitis can occur.…”

“…Postmortem findings include acute, chronic and chronic active pancreatitis (Breider et al 1985, Taintor et al 2006, Bakos et al 2008, Talbot et al 2011, Ollivett et al 2012, Yamout et al 2012, Newman 2015 and neoplasia (Ross et al 1983, Church et al 1987, Carrick et al 1992, Rendle et al 2006, Barsnick et al 2008, Spanton et al 2009, Brot et al 2014, Herbach et al 2014.…”

“…Diagnosing pancreatitis remains challenging. Whereas acute pancreatitis in adult horses is characterized by severe abdominal pain, ileus with duodenogastric reflux and hypovolemia (Bakos et al 2008, Schmidt et al 2010, Yamout et al 2012, Newman 2015, Lack et al 2020, chronic pancreatitis presents with weight loss, lethargy, mild recurrent colic and inappetence (Breider et al 1985, Yamout et al 2012, Leipig et al 2015. Coma and cerebral dysfunction as predominant clinical findings have been reported in two cases of severe acute pancreatitis in foals (Taintor et al 2006, Ollivett et al 2012.…”