Diagnosis and management of placentitis with severe funisitis in a multiparous Warmblood mare.
Authors: Bernard M, Donnelly C G, Miller A, Diel de Amorim M
Journal: Journal of equine veterinary science
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Diagnosis and Management of Placentitis with Severe Funisitis Placentitis remains a significant cause of pregnancy loss in equine practice, yet many cases escape diagnosis until advanced stages, leading to inconsistent intervention protocols and management outcomes. Bernard and colleagues present a clinical case of an 8-year-old multiparous Warmblood mare with recent EHV-1 exposure that was diagnosed with placentitis on intake to a foaling facility, allowing for prompt medical intervention and successful delivery of a term foal. Although clinical signs and diagnostic findings were consistent with placentitis, histopathologic examination revealed an unusual presentation: the chorioallantois lacked active inflammatory lesions, yet severe funisitis (inflammation of the umbilical cord) was evident, indicating that placental pathology can manifest in varied and sometimes subtle ways. The authors highlight how early detection—achieved through routine intake screening in this case—enabled timely treatment initiation, and they emphasise the importance of comprehensive placental examination to identify diverse inflammatory patterns that might not be apparent from clinical assessment alone. For practitioners managing high-risk pregnancies, this case reinforces the value of proactive surveillance protocols and reminds us that negative findings in one placental compartment do not exclude significant pathology elsewhere, particularly in the umbilical structures where funisitis may progress silently.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Mares with clinical signs of placentitis should receive immediate medical treatment; timing of intervention significantly impacts pregnancy outcomes and diagnostic findings
- •Histopathologic examination of placentitis cases may show variable lesions—absence of chorioallantitis does not rule out significant placental disease, as funisitis alone can be clinically significant
- •Establish early diagnostic protocols for placentitis detection at routine foaling management appointments, particularly in herds with recent viral exposure history like EHV-1
Key Findings
- •An 8-year-old multiparous Warmblood mare with placentitis diagnosed at intake delivered a term foal despite clinical signs of placental disease
- •Histopathologic examination revealed severe funisitis without active inflammatory lesions in the chorioallantois, demonstrating variable microscopic pathology in placentitis cases
- •Infectious etiology diagnostics were unrewarding despite clinical placentitis presentation and recent EHV-1 herd exposure
- •Early diagnosis and medical intervention initiated at intake may have contributed to successful term delivery and foal viability