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Objective: To determine whether CT provides unique information about the treatment or prognosis for horses with ethmoid hematoma (EH)., Design: Retrospective case series., Animals: 16 horses with EH., Procedures: Horses with a diagnosis of EH that had undergone a diagnostic CT study were included. Clinical features, treatment, outcome, radiographic and CT images, and histologic specimens were reviewed., Results: CT provided new diagnostic information that affected treatment in 10 of 16 horses. Bilateral disease occurred in 8 of 16 horses and was undetected in 5 horses prior to CT. Paranasal sinus involvement occurred in all horses, but was incompletely defined prior to CT in 7 of 16 horses. The sphenopalatine sinus was affected in 6 of 16 horses as detected on CT; 4 of 6 of these were bilaterally affected. Medical and surgical treatments were performed. Six of 10 horses had a successful outcome, with recurrence in 4 of 10. Five of 6 patients in which treatment addressed all lesion sites identified by CT had a successful outcome. Bilateral disease did not confer a poor prognosis when all affected sites were treated. Sphenopalatine sinus involvement may have been associated with recurrence., Conclusions and Clinical Relevance: CT provided anatomic information that may facilitate effective treatment of horses with EH, particularly in patients with bilateral disease and paranasal sinus involvement. Computed tomography is recommended for patients in which the lesion cannot be viewed endoscopically, when sinus involvement or multifocal disease are suspected, or when the lesion has been unresponsive to treatment.

Objective: To establish the prevalence of intussusceptions involving the caecum in a population of horses admitted to a university hospital for colic., Design: Retrospective clinical study, Methods: Medical records of all horses admitted to the Massey University Veterinary Teaching Hospital between 1991 and 2004 were examined for information of those horses diagnosed with an intussusception involving the caecum., Results: A total of 135 horses were admitted for colic surgery during the study period and 61 horses had a diagnosis of ileocaecal (37), caecocaecal (5) or caecocolic intussusception (19) made either at surgery or necropsy. Of the horses with ileocaecal intussusception, 32 had an incomplete hand-sewn ileocaecostomy without reduction and 29 survived to discharge. All the horses with caecocaecal intussusceptions were diagnosed preoperatively via rectal examination and/or transabdominal ultrasound: 2 were euthanased at surgery and 3 survived to discharge. In the 19 horses with caecocolic intussusceptions, manually reduction at surgery was performed in 6 and 5 of them survived to discharge. A typhlectomy was performed via a colotomy in 6 horses, 3 of which survived to discharge., Conclusions: The high prevalence of intussusceptions involving the caecum seen at this referral centre may indicate a higher prevalence in New Zealand than is reported elsewhere in the world., Clinical Relevance: Intussusceptions involving the caecum should be considered as a differential diagnosis in horses presenting with chronic low-grade colic. Transabdominal ultrasound is useful for identifying caecocaecal and caecocolic intussusceptions. Hand-sewn side-to-side incomplete ileocaecostomy is a quick, effective and safe method of surgical treatment of ileocaecal intussusceptions.

Objective: To develop a tenoscopic method to divide the carpal flexor retinaculum and decompress the carpal canal., Study Design: Cadaver specimen study and prospective trial., Animals: Twelve cadaveric limbs, 4 clinically normal horses, and 2 clinically affected horses. Methods-A tenoscopic approach to the proximolateral aspect of the carpal sheath was used to identify and facilitate endoscopic division of the inner and outer layers of the carpal flexor retinaculum in cadaver limbs. The technique was further evaluated in 4 normal and 2 clinically affected horses., Results: Anatomic dissection, intraoperative observation, necropsy, histologic evaluation, and both short- and long-term clinical follow-up indicate that a tenoscopic approach that divides the inner layer of the carpal retinaculum can successfully decompress the equine carpal canal. No iatrogenic damage to surrounding structures was evident, division of the retinaculum was adequate and permanent, and clinical morbidity was negligible. Resolution of effusion was evident in both clinical cases of carpal canal syndrome and lameness resolved in the 1 horse in which long-term follow-up was possible., Conclusions: Tenoscopic release of the carpal flexor retinaculum could provide a minimally invasive method to quickly, safely, and effectively decompress the carpal canal., Clinical Relevance: Tensocopic release of the carpal flexor retinaculum is a safe alternative to open division of the retinaculum to decompress the carpal canal in horses with carpal canal syndrome., (Copyright 2003 by The American College of Veterinary Surgeons)

Objective: To determine clinical and radiographic features of subchondral cystic lesions (SCL) of the proximal extremity of the tibia in horses that could be used to classify these lesions as being related to osteochondrosis or osteoarthritis and to evaluate results of surgical debridement., Design: Retrospective study., Animals: 12 horses with 14 SCL., Procedure: Medical records and radiographs obtained before and after treatment were reviewed., Results: In 6 young horses (8 lesions), SCL were considered to be related to osteochondrosis; all involved the lateral tibial condyle. The remaining 6 horses were mature and had radiographic evidence of osteoarthritis in addition to SCL. Arthroscopic debridement was performed in 4 horses in which lesions were considered to be a result of osteochondrosis and in 3 horses with osteoarthritis. Three horses in which SCL were considered to be a result of osteochondrosis performed athletically after debridement. Two horses with moderate osteoarthritis returned to work after arthroscopic debridement but at a lower level of athletic performance. One horse with SCL related to osteochondrosis responded to medical treatment and went on to race., Conclusions and Clinical Relevance: Results suggest that arthroscopic debridement of SCL is feasible in horses in which lesions involve the cranial portion of the lateral or medial tibial condyle, and that treated horses may be able to perform athletically.