Katleen Vanschandevijl

Lawsonia intracellularis infection in a 12-month-old colt in Belgium

P. Deprez, DVM, PhD, L. Lefere, DVM, K. Vanschandevijl, DVM, G. van Loon, DVM, PhD, Department of Large Animal Internal Medicine, K. Chiers, DVM, PhD, R. Ducatelle, DVM, PhD, Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Poultry Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium C. J. Gebhart, DVM, PhD, Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, 1971 Commonwealth Avenue, St Paul, MN 55108, USA Lawsonia intracellularis infection in a 12-monthold colt in Belgium

Computed tomography-guided brain biopsy for in vivo diagnosis of a cholesterinic granuloma in a horse

CASE DESCRIPTION An 8-year-old warmblood mare was evaluated following an acute onset of neurologic abnormalities. CLINICAL FINDINGS Computed tomography of the head revealed large masses in both lateral ventricles, and a presumptive diagnosis of cholesterinic granuloma was made. TREATMENT AND OUTCOME Freehand biopsy of the intracranial masses was performed under computed tomographic guidance, and histologic examination of biopsy specimens confirmed the diagnosis. No adverse effects associated with the brain biopsy procedure were encountered. Clinical signs resolved, and long-term follow-up did not reveal any recurrence of neurologic deficits. The horse was able to return to its previous level of training. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Findings suggested that computed tomographic-guided brain biopsy is feasible in horses and can be used to establish a diagnosis in horses with intracranial masses.

Hand-assisted laparoscopic nephrectomy after initial ureterocystostomy in a Shire filly with left ureteral ectopia

URETERAL ectopia is an abnormal opening of the ureteral orifice and is an uncommon developmental condition in the horse. The predominant complaint is urinary incontinence and perineal dermatitis (Christie and others 1981, Modransky and others 1983, Houlton and others 1987). Diagnosis is based on various diagnostic imaging techniques such as radiography (Modransky and others 1983, Houlton and others 1987, Sullins and others 1988, Blikslager and others 1992), ultrasonography (Blikslager and Green 1992) and endoscopy (MacAllister and Perdue 1990). Ureteral ectopia can be treated surgically by ureterocystostomy (Christie and others 1981, Modransky and others 1983, Pringle and others 1990, Blikslager and others 1992, Squire and Adams 1992, Jansson and Thofner 1999) or by unilateral nephrectomy (Houlton and others 1987, Sullins and others 1988, Odenkirchen and others 1994). This short communication describes the surgical treatment, including initial ureterocystostomy and final hand-assisted laparoscopic nephrectomy, of a Shire filly with a severely dilated left ectopic ureter. A one-year old Shire filly, weighing 428 kg, was referred to the authors’ hospital with urinary incontinence. The owners had noticed an intermittent dribble of urine from the vulva since birth; normal voluntary urination had only occasionally been observed. The filly was in good physical condition and an initial physical examination was unremarkable, except for the intermittent flow of urine from the vulva and a severe malodorous perineal region. Haematological examination showed a slight increase in blood urea nitrogen, whereas all the other values were within normal limits. Rectal examination revealed a severely dilated fluid-filled balloon at the left dorsolateral side of the abdomen, which completely obscured this region and made palpation of the spleen and uterus very difficult. The fluid-filled balloon had a firm but thin wall and a diameter of approximately 10 cm. Vaginal examination with a speculum was difficult to perform in the conscious animal, but revealed the presence of a very small amount of urine at the bottom of the vagina. The cervix was closed very tightly and therefore endoscopic inspection of the uterus was not performed. Urethroscopic and cystoscopic examination was not possible because of the pressure of the fluid-filled balloon on both structures, making distension impossible. Transrectal (5 MHz linear probe) and transcutaneous (3·5 MHz convex probe) ultrasonography revealed a large dilated cavity, approximately 8 to 10 cm in size, surrounded by a 1 to 1·5 mm thin wall and filled with hypoechoic homogeneous fluid at the left side of the abdomen. The bladder was almost empty on transrectal ultrasonography. The left kidney was not visible on transcutaneous ultrasonography, whereas the right kidney appeared to be normal. Based on all these findings, a tentative diagnosis of ectopic ureter was made. In Veterinary Record (2007) 161, 424-427

Laryngeal rhinosporidiosis in a Belgian warmblood horse.

In Belgium and even in northern Europe Rhinosporidium seeberi has not been reported in autochtonous people or animals. In this paper, the authors report the first observation of laryngeal masses, caused by Rhinosporidium seeberi, in a Belgian Warmblood horse. Moreover, laryngeal rhinosporidiosis is extremely rare since this localisation is only described in four human cases.

Functional electrical stimulation of the left recurrent laryngeal nerve using a vagus nerve stimulator in a normal horse

The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of implanting an existing vagus nerve stimulating (VNS) electrode around the recurrent laryngeal nerve. The stimulus response characteristics required to achieve abduction of the ipsilateral arytenoid by the VNS electrode in the normal horse could then be determined. The electrode was wound around the left recurrent laryngeal nerve at the cervical level and connected to a pulse generator. Stimulus response characteristics were obtained by measuring stimulated arytenoid displacement endoscopically in the standing, non-sedated horse. A full and sustained abduction of the arytenoid was obtained with a stimulation frequency of 25 Hz and intensity of 1 mA with a pulse width of 250 μs.

Incarceration of the small intestine in the epiploic foramen of three calves

THE most frequent causes of small intestinal obstruction in cattle are intussusception and partial or complete intestinal volvulus. Strangulation of an intestinal segment by fibroserosal bands or ligaments, and incarceration in internal or external hernias, are cited in the literature as less common causes (Pearson 1973, Smith 1990). Although strangulation of the small intestine in the epiploic foramen is a well-known cause of colic in the horse (Edwards and Proudman 2002), this type of small intestinal obstruction has rarely been reported in cattle (Dirksen and Doll 2002). This short communication describes the incarceration of the small intestine in the epiploic foramen of three calves. Over a period of 15 years (1988 to 2003), approximately 900 cattle were presented at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, with clinical signs of intestinal obstruction. The diagnosis of small intestinal incarceration in the epiploic foramen was made in only three cases. All three were female calves of the Belgian blue breed, aged between one-and-a-half and three months. Clinical signs of moderate to severe abdominal pain had been observed for two to three days before admission. Faecal production was reduced to absent, and one calf passed a small amount of bloody mucoid faeces. All calves were slightly to moderately dehydrated and acidotic (Table 1). Transabdominal ultra sonography was performed in calves 2 and 3 from the left and right abdominal wall using a 2·5 MHz sector scanner (Sonos 100; Hewlett Packard). The presence of dilated small intestinal loops and the absence of motility in those loops were indicative of small intestinal obstruction. Because of the history of ileus for several days and the ultrasonographic findings (in calves 2 and 3), an exploratory laparotomy was performed on each calf through a right flank incision, with the animal in left lateral recumbency. Calves 2 and 3 were premedicated with xylazine 2 per cent (Xyl-M; VMD), received sacrococcygeal epidural anaesthesia, with procaine hydrochloride 4 per cent and local infiltration anaesthesia with procaine (Procaine hydrochloride 4 per cent + adrenaline; Eurovet). Calf 1 received only local infiltration anaesthesia with xylocaine (Alfacaine 2 per cent; Pharmalux). Laparotomy revealed a left to right incarceration of a portion of the jejunum through the epiploic foramen in calves 1 and 2, while in calf 3 the incarceration was from right to left. In calf 1, adhesions between the intestines and the surrounding structures made reposition of the incarcerated segment impossible and the calf was euthanased during surgery. At postmortem examination a large portion of the distal jejunum was found to be firmly entrapped through the 4 cm long, cleft-shaped epiploic foramen. Reposition of the incarcerated jejunal segment was achieved in the other two calves, by careful traction combined with pushing in the same direction. In calf 2, viability of the entire small intestine was judged to be very poor after repositioning of the incarcerated segment because of extensive congestion, and no attempt was made to remove the strangulated part of the intestine. Two tears in the greater omentum were closed and the gaseous distention of the jejunum was reduced by aspiration on multiple sites with a 25 G needle and a suction apparatus. After surgery the animal was treated with a balanced polyionic intravenous fluid (Haemofiltration Solution; Baxter), neomycin and procaine penicillin (Neopen; Intervet) and flunixin meglumine (Finadyne; Schering Plough), but it died within an hour. In calf 3, the incarcerated jejunal segment was located inside the omental bursa between the superficial and deep wall of the greater omentum (right to left herniation). After repositioning this segment, oedema of the mesentery and congestion of the intestine were noticed, but shortly after reduction the colour of the intestinal wall turned pink again and peristalsis returned. The caecum and colon were mildly dilated and gas was removed by suction through a 25 G needle. After closure of the abdomen, the calf was treated for two days with lactated Ringer’s perfusion (Haemofiltration Solution; Baxter) and flunixin meglumine and for three days with neomycin and procaine penicillin. The calf was discharged three days after surgery and was doing well three months later. The epiploic foramen (foramen of Winslow or foramen omentale) forms the entrance to the omental bursa. It is located in the right dorsal abdomen and is bordered by the caudate process of the liver, the pancreas, the caudal vena cava and the hepatic portal vein (Constantinescu 2001). Incarceration of a segment of the small intestine in that foramen is a typical form of obstructive colic in the horse, and was reported in 6·9 per cent of horses surgically treated for colic in a survey by Steenhaut and others (2001). This report demonstrates that incarceration of the small intestine in the epiploic foramen of cattle, although rare, should be included in the differential diagnosis of strangulation of the small intestine. Only one brief reference to this type of strangulating small intestinal disorder in ruminants is reported in the veterinary literature (Dirksen and Doll 2002). Because of its location, exteriorisation and visual inspection of the incarceration is not possible when the laparotomy is performed through a right abdominal wall incision. Correction of the incarceration is therefore technically challenging and has to be carried out blindly, similar to the surgical treatment of epiploic foramen strangulation in horses through a ventral midline approach. In horses complications are known to arise during this blind correction of the entrapped intestinal segments: traction on the intestine during reduction may Calf 1 Calf 2 Calf 3

Suspected swainsonine poisoning in a Belgian horse

Summary The case of a horse with acute symptoms of excitement, exaggerated fright reactions and trembling is presented. In addition to these cerebral symptoms, mild cerebellar ataxia and a renal tubular lesion were diagnosed. Suspected swainsonine poisoning was confirmed by the presence of the toxin (154 ng/ml) in the serum sample taken immediately after admission. A good recovery was seen after fluid therapy with supplementation of potassium, a dopamine drip and administration of diazepam. The effects of the toxin, by inhibiting the lysosomal enzyme α-mannosidase and mimicking the genetic mannosidosis, are discussed.