%0 Journal Article
%T Gastrointestinal stromal tumour and hypoglycemia in a Fjord pony: Case report
%A Henning A Haga
%A Bj£¿rnar Ytrehus
%A Inger J Rudshaug
%A Nina Ottesen
%J Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica
%D 2008
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1751-0147-50-9
%X A case of a gastrointestinal stromal tumour in a Fjord pony with severe recurrent hypoglycemia is presented. The mechanism causing the hypoglycemia was not established.This case indicates that a gastrointestinal stromal tumour may cause hypoglycemia also in the horse.Clinical signs of hypoglycemia in adult equines are unusal. In humans and canines hypoglycemia caused by neoplasia is well established [1,2], a few reports have described this occurrence in the horse [3-7]. Hypoglycemia has not previously been described in association with gastrointestinal stromal tumours in this species. This report describes a horse with a gastrointestinal stromal tumour and hypoglycemia.A 12-year old, 420 kg Fjord pony stallion was referred to the equine clinic at the Norwegian School of Veterinary Science for evaluation of intermittent colic, and episodes of collapse. During the 3 weeks prior to admission the horse had a history of several episodes of ataxia, apparent blindness, headshaking, profuse sweating at the hindquarters, collapse and clinical signs of colic. The horse recovered spontaneously from these episodes, but on two occasions the horse was treated with flunixine meglumine intravenously and mineral oil per os and then recovered. The day prior to admission, the referring veterinarian had identified a firm mass cranio-ventrally in the abdomen by per rectum abdominal palpation.On initial examination at the Norwegian School of Veterinary Science the horse was in poor body condition with general muscle wasting and had a potbellied appearance. He was also sweating and appeared mildly depressed. Body temperature was 38.2¡ãC, heart rate 48 beats/min, respiratory rate 36 breaths/min and the oral mucosa was brick coloured with a capillary refill time of 2¨C3 seconds. The horse passed normal faeces and urinated. At per rectum abdominal palpation a large mass ventrally in the abdomen was identified. An arterial blood sample was obtained and analysed within 10 minutes, which identifi
%U http://www.actavetscand.com/content/50/1/9