Congenital retrosternal (Morgagni) diaphragmatic hernias in three horses.
METHODS
3 Horses were examined and treated because of sudden onset of signs of abdominal pain.


RESULTS
All horses had a retrosternal (Morgagni) hernia involving the right side of the diaphragm. In each horse, the large colon was incarcerated in a right muscular defect in the diaphragm with a large hernial sac.


RESULTS
Definitive surgical repair of the hernia was not performed during the initial celiotomy. The hernia was repaired with mesh herniorrhaphy, but without resection of the hernia sac in 2 horses. For 1 horse, conservative management was applied. In the 2 horses treated with surgical correction, no major postoperative complications developed, and all 3 horses have been free of signs of abdominal pain.


CONCLUSIONS
Horses with retrosternal hernias involving the diaphragm can develop clinical signs of intermittent obstruction of the large colon and chronic colic. In horses, retrosternal diaphragmatic hernias appear to develop exclusively in the right ventral aspect of the diaphragm and could represent an embryologic defect of diaphragm formation. Affected horses can be successfully treated with mesh herniorrhaphy or, in some instances, with conservative management.
Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA.
Frederik F
FF
Pauwels
Jan F
JF
Hawkins
Margaret A
MA
MacHarg
Ryan D
RD
Rothenbuhler
Debra K
DK
Baird
Jason S
JS
Moulton
D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000209:etiology / Q000662:veterinary; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D006548:Hernia, Diaphragmatic / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery / Q000662:veterinary*; D065630:Hernias, Diaphragmatic, Congenital; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D006736:Horses; D007415:Intestinal Obstruction / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000662:veterinary; D012086:Reoperation / Q000662:veterinary; D016896:Treatment Outcome