Congenital Cerebellar Vermis Aplasia Associated with Hydrocephalus in a Foal

A 2-day-old Mangalarga Marchador colt was presented with clinical signs of severe mental depression, unable to stand, and lacking a suckling reflex. Despite intensive medical care, there was no improvement and the colt died 30 hours later. Gross lesions were characterized by aplasia of the cerebellar vermis, cystic dilatation of the fourth ventricle, communicant hydrocephalus involving all ventricles and villous hyperplasia of the choroid plexus in the fourth ventricle. The cerebral parenchyma adjacent to lateral ventricles was markedly reduced. In addition, there was aspiration pneumonia. Aplasia of the cerebellar vermis and cystic dilatation of the fourth ventricle could be compared to the Dandy-Walker-syndrome (DWS). Nevertheless, congenital cerebellar anomalies combined with villous hyperplasia of the choroid plexus in the fourth ventricle and hydrocephalus are describing for the first time in animals, alerting clinicians and pathologists for future investigations about the incidence and etiology of the condition.

Laparoscopic-assisted approach to the pelvic flexure for surgical treatment of sand impaction in a horse

Background: Laparoscopy provides good visualization of horses abdominal cavity, besides providing minimal invasiveness and meticulous manipulation intra-abdominal organs. Laparoscopy is suitable for both diagnosing and treating acute abdomen in horses. The purpose of this study was to report a successful case of laparoscopic-assisted surgery for treating sand impaction in a horse.Case: A 3-year-old horse, weighing 460 kg, was admitted following chronic intermittent episodes of diarrhea and colic. Physical exam revealed mild abdominal pain and liquid/pasty diarrhea. There was negative survey of gastrointestinal helminthes and microbiological analyses. Fecal sedimentation test revealed sand impaction. Surgical approach was opted for both accomplishment of the abdominal exploration and resolution of the impactation. The patient was anesthetized and positioned in dorsal recumbency. Laparoscopy was performed through an 11-mm trocar placed right cranially to the umbilicus. There were no apparent adhesions, bowel inflammation nor visceral displacement. A 15-cm celiotomy was carried out caudally to the umbilicus, under laparoscopic guidance, for initial inspection of the gastrointestinal tract. Incision enlargement was required for exteriorizing the pelvic flexure. Afterwards, enterotomy was carried out for drainage of the impactating content, followed by enterorraphy. The pelvic flex...(AU)

Congenital Cerebellar Vermis Aplasia Associated with Hydrocephalus in a Foal

A 2-day-old Mangalarga Marchador colt was presented with clinical signs of severe mental depression, unable to stand, and lacking a suckling reflex. Despite intensive medical care, there was no improvement and the colt died 30 hours later. Gross lesions were characterized by aplasia of the cerebellar vermis, cystic dilatation of the fourth ventricle, communicant hydrocephalus involving all ventricles and villous hyperplasia of the choroid plexus in the fourth ventricle. The cerebral parenchyma adjacent to lateral ventricles was markedly reduced. In addition, there was aspiration pneumonia. Aplasia of the cerebellar vermis and cystic dilatation of the fourth ventricle could be compared to the Dandy-Walker-syndrome (DWS). Nevertheless, congenital cerebellar anomalies combined with villous hyperplasia of the choroid plexus in the fourth ventricle and hydrocephalus are describing for the first time in animals, alerting clinicians and pathologists for future investigations about the incidence and etiology of the condition.(AU)

Laparoscopic-assisted approach to the pelvic flexure for surgical treatment of sand impaction in a horse

Background: Laparoscopy provides good visualization of horses abdominal cavity, besides providing minimal invasiveness and meticulous manipulation intra-abdominal organs. Laparoscopy is suitable for both diagnosing and treating acute abdomen in horses. The purpose of this study was to report a successful case of laparoscopic-assisted surgery for treating sand impaction in a horse.Case: A 3-year-old horse, weighing 460 kg, was admitted following chronic intermittent episodes of diarrhea and colic. Physical exam revealed mild abdominal pain and liquid/pasty diarrhea. There was negative survey of gastrointestinal helminthes and microbiological analyses. Fecal sedimentation test revealed sand impaction. Surgical approach was opted for both accomplishment of the abdominal exploration and resolution of the impactation. The patient was anesthetized and positioned in dorsal recumbency. Laparoscopy was performed through an 11-mm trocar placed right cranially to the umbilicus. There were no apparent adhesions, bowel inflammation nor visceral displacement. A 15-cm celiotomy was carried out caudally to the umbilicus, under laparoscopic guidance, for initial inspection of the gastrointestinal tract. Incision enlargement was required for exteriorizing the pelvic flexure. Afterwards, enterotomy was carried out for drainage of the impactating content, followed by enterorraphy. The pelvic flex...

Fistulae and other congenital anomalies of the urinary and digestive tract in a colt / Fístulas e outras anomalias congênitas dos tratos digestivo e urinário em um potro

A three month-old Mangalarga Marchador colt, that eliminated urine in jets through the penian urethra, anus and through four fistulae in the perianal area. Post-mortem examination revealed that the fistulae communicated the pelvic urethra and the bladder to the rectum and the rectum and the pelvic urethra to the perianal area. Additionally, there were cecorectal fistula, persistence of the urachus and dilatation of the pelvic urethra, with a ventral blind sack. The bladder was filled with caseous exudate and feces and showed adherences with the peritonium, ileum and cecum, as well as with the muscles of the abdominal wall. This malformation type still had not been described in equine in Brazil.(AU)

Descrevem-se fístulas uretrorretal, vesicorretal, uretroperianal, retoperianal e cecorretal congênitas em um potro de três meses que eliminava urina em jatos pela uretra peniana, pelo ânus e pelas quatro fístulas. À necropsia, a bexiga encontrava-se aderida ao peritônio, ao íleo, ao ceco e à musculatura da parede abdominal e estava repleta de fezes e exsudato caseoso. Adicionalmente, observaram-se persistência do úraco, uretrite supurativa e dilatação da uretra pélvica, com formação de saco cego ventral. Este tipo de malformação ainda não havia sido descrito em eqüinos no Brasil. (AU)