Vascular Injury Associated with Naturally Occurring Strangulating Obstructions of the Equine Large Colon

Abstract

Ten horses were euthanatized before, during, or after surgery to correct severe volvulus of the large colon. At surgery, the colonic serosa changed from blue-gray, blue or purple toward a more normal pink in seven horses after the volvulus was corrected. The mucosa consistently remained black or dark red. Results of postmortem colonic microangiography revealed perfusion of the serosa and the circular and longitudinal muscle layers, but mucosal perfusion was limited by thrombosis in the muscularis mucosae and submucosa. There was evidence of thrombosis of the mesenteric colic vessels in six horses. Damage to the colonic vascular system, especially thromboembolism in the submucosa, may be an important limitation to colonic viability after surgical correction of volvulus of the large colon.

Clinical evaluation of serum alcohol dehydrogenase activity in horses with acute intestinal obstruction

“…This could be attributed to several factors. First, all of these horses likely had some degree of intestinal hypoperfusion as a result of intestinal distension due to gases or impactions 34,35 . Secondly, the horses in groups 2 and 3 met the criteria for systemic inflammatory response syndrome indicating more severe disease.…”

“…The hepatic enzymes (AST and GGT) are distributed in the periportal region of the liver and are released only in case of severe hepatic damage 17 . The rapid clinical course of intestinal ischemia may not allow time for this prominent damage in the liver and release of these transaminases 17,35 . In contrast, ADH is a cytosolic liver enzyme which predominately distributed in the centrilobular (perivenous) region and released even with a mild hepatic injury 17 .…”

Coagulation profiles in 27 horses with large colon volvulus

“…Analysis of hemostatic parameters has been reported in horses with colic, 5–7 revealing that horses with the most severe intestinal ischemia had decreased survival and coagulation profiles interpreted as hypercoagulable 8 . Coagulation profiles associated with a specific surgical lesion such as LCV have not been reported to our knowledge, although the vascular injury associated with this diagnosis is well documented 9 …”

Volvulus of the large colon in a neonatal foal

“…), which may reflect greater vascular occlusion and structural changes with increasing degrees of volvulus (Snyder et al . ). The foal had markedly abnormal discolouration of the serosa that did not improve after correction of the volvulus.…”