SURGICAL COLIC CAUSED BY ADHESIONS IN ABSENCEOF PREVIOUS ABDOMINAL SURGERY: 9 CASES (2012-2019)

Background: Intestinal pathologies caused by adhesions or fibrous bands in the absence of previous abdominal surgery have been reported in humans but scarcely in horses. Objectives: To describe the clinical and surgical features of acute colic in horses caused by adhesions or fibrous bands in absence of previous abdominal surgery. Methods: Records of horses that underwent exploratory laparotomy at the University of Turin VTH between 2012–2019 were reviewed. Clinical and surgical features of cases diagnosed with adhesions or fibrous bands as the primary cause of colic were retrieved, excluding whose that had a previous abdominal surgery. Results: Nine out of 293 horses met the criteria for the study. In three cases, the adhesion was between the omentum and portion of the intestine In one case a fibrous band 3-4 cm long running across the mesojejunum parallel to the small intestine strangled a loop of small intestine. In the other cases, the adhesion involved the left colon. Of these, two were geldings and the adhesion involved the internal inguinal ring region. Both had a history of funiculitis. The others were mares, and in one of them the adhesion was at the level of a small hernia in the left lateral abdominal wall. Conclusions: In horses, abdominal adhesions in the absence of previous abdominal trauma may be a cause of colic. Parturition, colon displacement or castration may predispose to the formation of intra-abdominal adhesions.