The importance of ultrasonographic pneumatosis intestinalis in equine neonatal gastrointestinal disease.

Abstract

REASONS FOR PERFORMING STUDY: Recognising the presence of a necrotising component of the gastrointestinal disease may be clinically useful in ill equine neonates. OBJECTIVES: To study the importance of abdominal sonograms in neonatal foals suffering from gastrointestinal conditions and to describe the clinical features of necrotising gastrointestinal disease. HYPOTHESIS: There is a subgroup of neonates with sonographically detectable pneumatosis intestinalis (PI), reflecting a necrotising disease. METHODS: Records of foals aged < or = 7 days hospitalised from 2005 to 2009 with signs of gastrointestinal disease were evaluated (n = 89). The association of sonographic, clinical and clinicopatho..