Encepholopothy and Alzheimer type II astrocytes in a post laparotomy recumbent horse.

摘要

A 13-year-old Standardbred gelding is referred with history of continuous abdominal pain. Rectal examination revealed a dislocated large colon (Dislocatio coli ad dextram). The horse showed muscle fasciculations and appeared lethargic. The animal underwent surgery due to persistent colic. In transit, the gelding had an unstable walk and immediately prior to surgery, a wide-based stance in the hind limbs was observed. Laparotomy revealed a retroflexion of the large colon and a secondary mesenterial volvulus. The horse remained recumbent after surgery. The animal was euthanized since the horse did not recover after 15 h of recumbency. Postmortem examination indicated hyperaemic meninges, oedema of glial cells and submeningeal tissue with vacuolization and loss of several cerebellar Purkinje cells as well as multiple conglomerates of Alzheimer type II astrocyte groups within the grey matter. Further findings included marked hepatolipidosis, multiple gastric ulcers, small intestinal hyperaemia with mild mononuclear inflammation, tapeworm-infestation of the caecum and moderate chronic enteritis with eosinophilic component in the large intestine. This is the first case of a horse with colic and concurrent encephalopathy without primary liver disease described in a German-speaking country.