Normal and pathological aspects in gastrointestinal ultrasonography in horse

Abstract

The evaluation of abdominal organs in horses represents a stringent necessity in the case of gastrointestinal emergencies (e.g., intestinal ileus). Even though physical examination represents a fundamental component of the medical assessment in these pathological conditions, the diagnostic efficiency of this method is sometimes limited by the anatomic and topographical peculiarities of the abdominal organs. The use of abdominal ultrasonography helps overcome this inconvenience by significantly reducing the areas that are clinically inaccessible. Moreover, it supplies precise information regarding the extension, severity and nature of the organ lesion in question. The ultrasonographic technique described in this article is transcutaneous, a simple, noninvasive, repetitive and relevant method for the majority of the gastrointestinal segments. The results offer a comparative perspective over the normal and pathological echotopographical and echostructural aspects of the equine gastrointestinal organs. The precise identification of the extension and severity of the lesions facilitates choosing between conservative or surgical methods of treatment.