Ileoileal intussusception associated with coccidiosis in sheep

Postmortem examination of a 3-year-old male Iranian native sheep with a history of anorexia and severe colic, revealed an intussusception of the small intestine, 30 cm proximal to the ileocaecal junction. Scattered hyperplastic lesions were present in the jejunal and ileal mucosa especially in intussuscipien. Microscopic examination of these lesions showed severe papillary hyperplasia of the epithelium associated with developmental stages of coccidia in the epithelial cells. An unusual type of intussusception and the presence of the proliferative nodular form of coccidiosis in the intestinal wall of intussuscipien suggested that coccidiosis could be considered as the possible cause of the problem.     

Ultrasonographic findings of intestinal intussusception in seven cats

The medical records of seven cats with intestinal intussusception that were diagnosed by abdominal ultrasonography and exploratory laparotomy were reviewed. In transverse ultrasonographic sections the intussusception appeared as a target-like mass consisting of one, two or more hyperechoic and hypoechoic concentric rings surrounding a C-shaped, circular or non-specific shaped hyperechoic centre. Part of the intestine representing the inner intussusceptum, located close to the hyperechoic centre and surrounded by concentric rings, was also detected. In longitudinal sections the intussusception appeared as multiple hyperechoic and hypoechoic parallel lines in four cases and as an ovoid mass in three cases. In one case the ovoid mass had a ‘kidney’ configuration. Additional ultrasonographic findings associated with intestinal intussusception included an intestinal neoplasm in one cat. The results of the present study demonstrate that the ultrasonographic findings of intestinal intussusception in cats bear some similarities to those described in dogs and humans, are relatively consistent, and facilitate a specific diagnosis.     

Ileal intussusception in 16 young thoroughbreds.

The paper describes the outcome of 16 cases of short-ileal-ileal intussusception in young Thoroughbred horses. The intussusception was often associated with chronic or intermittent low grade abdominal pain. At laparotomy, only the intussusception was reduced in one horse; in another, a myotomy of the thickened stenosed intussusception was carried out after reduction. In 11 cases as ileocaecal bypass anastomosis was performed proximal to the intussusception after its reduction. One horse was subjected to euthanasia during operation because of irreversible intestinal wall damage and another because of intestinal rupture. One foal had a cardiac arrest following reduction of the intussusception. One horse was subjected to euthanasia 4 months post-operatively because of intractable abdominal pain caused by intestinal adhesions. Although several horses suffered episodes of post-operative abdominal pain, and 2 were subjected to a second laparotomy, 12 horses made an eventual complete recovery.     

Intestinal leiomyosarcoma in a cat

Intramural ileocaecocolic leiomyosarcoma is described in an elderly neutered male domestic shorthaired cat with poor appetite and weight loss. Histological examination of the resected lesion revealed a poorly differentiated soft tissue sarcoma and a diagnosis of leiomyosarcoma was confirmed by positive immunohistochemical staining for vimentin and a-smooth muscle actin. Postoperative survival time was 102 days before local recurrence justified euthanasia.     

Caecal intussusceptions in horses: a New Zealand perspective

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.     

Intussusception in 12 cats

The medical records of 12 cats presented with intussusception and diagnosed at the University of Sydney Veterinary Teaching Hospital and the Sylvania Veterinary Hospital were reviewed. Eleven cats were less than one year old at the time of diagnosis. No breed or sex predilections were determined. The most consistent clinical signs were anorexia (83 per cent), weight loss (83 per cent) and a palpable abdominal mass (92 per cent). Vomiting (58 per cent) and diarrhoea (50 per cent) were seen less frequently in these cats compared with the reported incidence of these signs in dogs. In 10 cats the intussusception was corrected surgically. Manual reduction was successful in three of the cats but six required end-to-end anastomosis following intestinal resection and in one cat a typhlectomy was performed. Postoperative ileus complicated recovery in three cases. Recurrence of the intussusception at a different site occurred in two of these cases. One cat with recurrence of intussusception died and the cat with ileus but not recurrence was euthanased one month after the original surgery.     

Cecal inversion followed by ileocolic intussusception in a cat

A cat was presented with a history of constipation, tenesmus, and malaise. Ultrasonography revealed an ileocolic intussusception and cecal inversion. Surgical findings included an easily reducible intussusception and an inverted cecum that was moderately difficult to reduce. A typhlectomy and bowel plication was performed. The cat had an uneventful recovery.     

Intermittent gastroesophageal intussusception in a cat with idiopathic megaesophagus

An adult female domestic shorthair cat was evaluated for chronic upper respiratory disease and vomiting. A diagnosis of idiopathic megaesophagus with intermittent gastroesophageal intussusception (GEI) was made based on radiographic and endoscopic examinations. The GEI was manually reduced by use of a stomach tube during the endoscopic procedure. An incisional gastropexy was performed to prevent recurrence. Gastroesophageal intussusception is a rare condition in cats. In dogs it is usually associated with rapid progression of clinical signs, culminating in death. In this cat, the condition was associated with chronic signs, probably due to the intermittent nature of the GEI.     

An immunohistochemical study of various peptide-containing endocrine cells and neurones at the equine ileocaecal junction

The ileocaecal junctions of 5 horses and 2 donkeys were examined by using antisera to the following peptides: somatostatin, glucagon, gastrin, neurotensin, vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), peptide histidine isoleucine (PHI), calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), substance P (SP) and neuropeptide Y (NPY). Antisera to somatostatin, neurotensin and NPY demonstrated endocrine cells in the ileal- and caecal parts of the ileocaecal junction, while immunoreactivity for glucagon was demonstrated in endocrine cells of the ileal part only. Nerve cell bodies showing immunoreactivity to SP, VIP, CGRP and PHI were demonstrated in the myenteric and submucosal plexuses and were associated with small blood vessels in the submucosa of all the regions tested. Ramified nerve fibres in the submucosa immunoreactive to SP, VIP, CGRP and PHI extended to the mucosa and to small blood vessels in the submucosa. Nerve fibres showing immunoreactivity to SP, VIP and PHI extended to the circular smooth muscle layer of the ileocaecal junction.     

Concurrent gastro-oesophageal intussusception, trichobezoar and hiatal hernia in a cat

CASE HISTORY: An adult male Birman cat was evaluated for recurrent, intermittent vomiting or regurgitation, occasionally associated with abdominal discomfort. CLINICAL FINDINGS AND DIAGNOSIS: Radiographs, including an oesophogram, indicated an oesophageal obstruction. Prior to treatment, the cat's condition deteriorated and it was euthanised at the owner's request. Post-mortem examination revealed a gastro-oesophageal intussusception, a trichobezoar impacted into the intussusceptum, and a dilated oesophageal hiatus consistent with a chronic hiatal hernia. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Gastro-oesophageal intussusception is a rare condition in cats. Its aetiology in relation to a pre-existing hiatal hernia and a trichobezoar is discussed.     

Enterolithiasis in a cat

An 8-year-old female Persian cat was brought in for evaluation of chronic vomiting. The presence of opaque enteric foreign bodies and intestinal obstruction along with azotaemia, hyperphosphataemia, moderate anaemia and peritoneal fluid were revealed following appropriate diagnostic work-up. Exploratory laparotomy confirmed jejunoileal dilation, ileocaecal stenosis, and numerous foreign objects in the jejunoileum. These foreign objects and ileocaecal stenosis were surgically removed, and intestinal resection and anastomosis was performed. The patient recovered favourably. Analysis revealed that the foreign objects were composed of calcium phosphate and calcium carbonate. Intestinal inflammation and stenosis secondary to enterolithiasis may have developed following ingestion of cat litter or a previous unrelated surgical intervention. We were unable to delineate the inciting pathogenesis in this particular case.     

Results of operative treatment of equine colic with special reference to surgery of the ileum

This retrospective study presents the results of surgical treatment of obstructive colic in horses operated in the last decade (1976-1985). The overall short-term recovery rate (i.e. discharged from hospital) was 51% of cases presented for surgery, and 68% of cases which were considered to be amenable to surgical therapy. For long-term results (6 months-8 years follow up) these percentages must be reduced by about 15% due to mortality after discharge. Special attention has been given to surgery of the ileum, which is often involved in strangulation or obturation, and accounts for about 26% of gastrointestinal surgical disorders. The long-term recovery rate of ileal surgery was 54.3%, but ileocaecal intussusception and jejunocaecostomy with resection have a much poorer prognosis. The results of this study indicate that resection of the ileum should be avoided unless necrosis is present or threatening. The alternative is creation of a shunt between (distal) jejunum and caecum, thus bypassing the ileum and ileocaecal junction and preserving the original anatomical relationships.     

Concurrent gastro-oesophageal intussusception,trichobezoar and hiatal hernia in a cat

CASE HISTORY: An adult male Birman cat was evaluated for recurrent, intermittent vomiting or regurgitation, occasionally associated with abdominal discomfort.

CLINICAL FINDINGS AND DIAGNOSIS: Radiographs, including an oesophogram, indicated an oesophageal obstruction. Prior to treatment, the cat's condition deteriorated and it was euthanised at the owner's request. Post-mortem examination revealed a gastro-oesophageal intussusception, a trichobezoar impacted into the intussusceptum, and a dilated oesophageal hiatus consistent with a chronic hiatal hernia.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Gastro-oesophageal intussusception is a rare condition in cats. Its aetiology in relation to a pre-existing hiatal hernia and a trichobezoar is discussed.     

Intussusception in dogs and cats: A review of 36 cases

Intussusception is recognized as a common cause of bowel obstruction in small animals. This study documents the clinical and surgical findings in nine cats and 27 dogs diagnosed as having intussusception. The main purposes of the study were to define the predisposing causes and clinical signs of intussusception and to evaluate various surgical techniques commonly employed in its treatment. No common predisposing cause could be established. Diagnosis of intussusception was based most often on clinical signs of bowel obstruction in association with the palpable abdominal mass. The majority of the intussusceptions involved the enterocolic junction. Formation of adhesions was more frequent in cats. Surgical treatments included simple reduction, manual reduction with plication, intestinal resection/anastomosis, and intestinal resection/anastamosis with plication. There was no statistically significant difference (p>0.05) in the recurrence rate of the intussusceptions when the various surgical techniques were compared. Recurrence of an intussusception was not related to either the bowel segment involved or whether a simple reduction, bowel resection, or intestinal plication was performed at the initial surgery.     

Scanning electron and light microscopy of the mucosa of the equine ileocaecal junction

The ileocaecal junction mucosal surface morphology of 5 horses and 1 donkey was examined using scanning electron microscopy and light microscopy. Based on differences in surface morphology, the junction could be divided into 4 distinct regions. The distal extremity of the ileum was characterized by the presence of typical finger-like villi followed by a narrow zone displaying short, stubby villi which gradually merged into a 3rd region representing the true transitional zone between the small and large intestine. In this region the villi fused, forming low ridges arranged in circular, semi-circular or S-shaped patterns. Many of the fused villi were indented at the tips giving these structures a doughnut-like appearance. The caecal portion of the ileocaecal junction formed the 4th region and was characterized by the absence of villi and the occurrence of regularly spaced crypt openings each surrounded by a slightly raised circular mound.     

GASTROGASTRIC INTUSSUSCEPTION IN A DOG

A three-year-old, intact male, Rottweiler is presented with a gastrogastric intussusception. This is one of only two known reports of gastrogastric intussusception in the dog. Lateral and ventrodorsal radiographs and ultrasound revealed a gastric mass, however the diagnosis of gastrogastric intussusception was made during surgery. The patient in this report had no associated tumor and the pyloric antrum was the intussusceptum. Cause of the intussusception is unknown.     

Disseminated Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare Infection in a Persian cat

This report describes a disseminated infection with mycobacteria of the avium/intracellulare complex in a Persian cat in the absence of cutaneous lesions. Postmortem examination revealed severe granulomatous inflammation with numerous intrahistiocytic acid-fast bacilli in multiple organs. A gastrointestinal port of entry seems likely, as the ileocaecal lymph node was most severely affected.     

Intestinal haemangiosarcoma in the cat: clinical and pathological features of four cases

The clinical and pathological features of four cases of feline intestinal haemangiosarcoma are described. All cases were in domestic shorthaired cats and the mean age of the animals (n=3) was 13 years. The tumours originated in the colon, small intestine, ileocaecocolic junction or rectum. The rectal tumour was juxtaposed with an adjacent mast cell neoplasm. Metastasis to mesenteric lymph node occurred in two cases, and in one of these cats there was also abdominal seeding. The histopathological appearance was of a spindle cell neoplasm with vascular differentiation in each case. Immunohistochemical staining for factor VIII-related antigen, an endothelial cell marker, confirmed all four tumours to be of endothelial origin. The neoplastic endothelial cells lining irregular vascular channels were more likely to express the antigen than those forming denser sheets without obvious vascular differentiation.     

Disseminated Mycobacterium avium–intracellulare Infection in a Persian Cat

This report describes a disseminated infection with mycobacteria of the avium/intracellulare complex in a Persian cat in the absence of cutaneous lesions. Postmortem examination revealed severe granulomatous inflammation with numerous intrahistiocytic acid‐fast bacilli in multiple organs. A gastrointestinal port of entry seems likely, as the ileocaecal lymph node was most severely affected.     

Cystic ectopic lingual thyroid tissue in a male cat

CASE DESCRIPTION-A 6-year-old neutered male cat was examined because of a 4-week history of abnormal sounds while drinking and a previously noted mass at the base of the tongue. CLINICAL FINDINGS-Oral examination revealed a 1-cm-diameter midline cystic mass on the dorsal aspect of the base of the tongue at the junction of the rostral two-thirds and caudal third of the tongue. Complete blood count and serum biochemical analysis revealed no clinically relevant abnormalities, and serum total thyroxine and free thyroxine (determined by equilibrium dialysis) concentrations were within the reference range. TREATMENT AND OUTCOME-The fluid in the cystic mass was aspirated, and the remaining deflated mass was marsupialized. Histologic and immunohistochemical examination of sections of the excised mass revealed ectopic thyroid tissue. The cat recovered uneventfully from the surgery, clinical signs resolved, and the cat remained euthyroid with no recurrence of the mass as of 8 months after surgery. CLINICAL RELEVANCE-This is the first known reported case of ectopic lingual thyroid tissue in a male cat. In humans, the most common site of ectopic thyroid tissue is at the base of the tongue and the condition is disproportionately found in females, compared with males. In humans with ectopic lingual thyroid tissue, the patient often lacks any other functional thyroid tissue. However, the cat of this report remained euthyroid after mass resection.