Aortic-iliac thrombosis in a horse

Area of Science:

• Equine medicine
• Veterinary cardiology
• Vascular surgery

Background:

• Chronic lameness and acute abdominal pain are common presenting complaints in horses.
• Initial diagnoses may not always reflect the underlying pathology, necessitating further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the cause of severe abdominal distress and chronic lameness in a horse.
• To identify the underlying vascular pathology contributing to the clinical signs.

Main Methods:

• Clinical case presentation and examination.
• Diagnostic workup including initial assessment for abdominal pain.
• Postmortem examination to confirm findings.

Main Results:

• Initial diagnosis of intestinal obstruction was ineffective.
• Further examination revealed aortic obstruction at the iliac bifurcation.
• Postmortem results confirmed aortic-iliac thrombosis.

Conclusions:

• Aortic-iliac thrombosis can present with clinical signs mimicking other abdominal and orthopedic conditions in horses.
• The pattern of lameness and abdominal distress is consistent with this vascular event.
• Accurate diagnosis of vascular obstructions is critical for effective equine patient management.