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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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interest in the study of equine gastric ulcer syndrome resides both from its negative effects on equine sport performance and from the difficulties in its diagnosis. Based on the location of the lesions, there are two distinct entities within equine gastric ulcer syndrome: equine squamous gastric disease and equine glandular gastric disease. Even though these two diseases have distinct etiopathogenesis, their clinical manifestations are similar, consisting of appetite loss, poor body conditions, bruxism, sialorrhea and abdominal pain expressed by colics of varying intensity. Therefore, the gastroscopy represents the optimal method for correctly diagnosing equine squamous gastric disease and equine glandular gastric disease, thus assuring a differentiated and efficient treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The standard echographic technique used in the diagnosis of intestinal ileus in horse, also known as ”Fast Localized Abdominal Sonography for Horse” (FLASH), is a rapid method and allows a accurate differentiation of different types of intestinal ileus. The severity of the clinical forms is determinated by the ileus type and the time elapsed since its installation and until the adequate therapy has been adopted. Therefore, early diagnosis, with exact indication of the intestinal segment involved, decisively determines the efficiency of the applied treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]