Periparturient Arterial Rupture in Mares: A Postmortem Study

Neil M. Williams, Uneeda K. Bryant

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

9 Scopus citations

Abstract

There are limited reports characterizing the occurrence of rupture of uterine and other arteries associated with pregnancy in mares. Cases were retrieved from the records of horses submitted for necropsy to the University of Kentucky Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory over a 15-year period (1993-2007). Five hundred thirteen horses were diagnosed with periparturient arterial rupture, representing 1.5% of the total equine necropsy cases. Arterial rupture was diagnosed predominately in older mares, with 78% of the horses being ≥15 years of age. Ruptures occurred most commonly during parturition but also were diagnosed before and after parturition. Additionally, during a consecutive 3-year period within this time interval, an extensive workup of cases was performed. In these 71 cases, the area of the arterial rupture was carefully dissected, and the location, size, and appearance of the arterial tear were determined. The uterine artery was the most commonly affected vessel. Although there was overlap, mares with uterine artery rupture tended to be older than those with rupture of other arteries. There was no predilection for the left or right sides, and the uterine artery rupture occurred most often in the first 20 cm from the origin.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)281-284
Number of pages4
JournalJournal of Equine Veterinary Science
Volume32
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - May 2012

Keywords

  • Equine
  • Hemorrhage
  • Parturition
  • Pregnancy
  • Uterine Artery

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Equine

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