Validation of a transendoscopic glandular and nonglandular gastric biopsy technique in horses.
Authors: Rodrigues N L F, Doré M, Doucet M Y
Journal: Equine veterinary journal
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Transendoscopic Gastric Biopsy in Horses Researchers from the Université de Montréal developed and validated a transendoscopic biopsy protocol to obtain tissue samples from different regions of the equine stomach—a critical requirement for investigating the histopathological changes underlying equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS). Using six mature mares, the team performed biopsies from four gastric sites (cardia, fundus, margo plicatus and glandular mucosa) on days 0 and 9, then monitored lesion healing endoscopically over the subsequent 11 days whilst assessing sample adequacy for histopathological examination. The glandular mucosa yielded adequate samples suitable for detailed pathological analysis, whilst nonglandular biopsies produced insufficient tissue and demonstrated slower healing (particularly at the margo plicatus, where lesion severity was significantly higher at days 1–2); critically, no adverse clinical signs occurred within seven days post-biopsy. For practitioners and researchers investigating EGUS pathogenesis, this technique provides a safe and reliable method for obtaining diagnostic tissue from the glandular stomach, though the inadequacy of nonglandular samples means alternative approaches are needed if ulceration in the squamous region requires histological evaluation.
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Practical Takeaways
- •If investigating EGUS in clinical cases, transendoscopic biopsy of the glandular mucosa is a safe, validated method for obtaining tissue samples; avoid attempts to biopsy the cardia
- •Nonglandular mucosa biopsies are not suitable for histopathology using this technique—focus sampling on glandular regions if tissue analysis is your goal
- •Expect mild healing lesions from the biopsy procedure itself, particularly in the margo plicatus region, but these resolve within 9-11 days without clinical consequence
Key Findings
- •Transendoscopic gastric biopsy is feasible and safe, with no abnormal clinical signs observed up to 7 days post-biopsy in 6 mares
- •Biopsy lesion scores decreased significantly over time for all sites, with margo plicatus showing highest lesion severity on Days 1-2
- •Samples from glandular mucosa were adequate for histopathological evaluation, while nonglandular samples were inadequate due to small size and slow healing
- •Cardia region could not be successfully biopsied using the described transendoscopic technique