Detection of fibrin deposits in tissues from horses with severe gastrointestinal disorders.
Authors: Cotovio Mário, Monreal Luis, Navarro Marga, Segura Dídac, Prada Justina, Alves Anabela
Journal: Journal of veterinary internal medicine
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Fibrin Deposits in Severe Equine Gastrointestinal Disease Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) causes pathological fibrin deposition throughout organ tissues in humans and experimental animals, ultimately leading to ischaemia and multiorgan failure. This 2007 study examined postmortem tissue samples (kidney, lung, liver) from 77 horses—66 with severe gastrointestinal disease (intestinal ischemia, enteritis, peritonitis) and 11 with uncomplicated colic—plus 16 control slaughter horses, using histological staining and a standardised fibrin scoring system (0–4 grades) to assess microthrombosis. Fibrin deposits were detected in approximately 40% of horses with ischaemic, inflammatory, and infectious conditions (mean fibrin scores 1.3, 1.1, and 0.9 respectively), with the lungs showing the most substantial accumulations, whilst obstructive colic cases and healthy controls showed minimal or no fibrin presence. These findings provide histological evidence that severe colic complicated by ischaemia, enteritis, or peritonitis triggers a DIC-like state characterised by multiorgan microvascular thrombosis. For practitioners, this underscores the grave systemic consequences of conditions beyond simple mechanical obstruction and reinforces the clinical urgency of early intervention in cases presenting with signs of mucosal compromise, inflammation, or sepsis.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Severe gastrointestinal conditions with poor prognosis (ischemia, enteritis, peritonitis) commonly trigger DIC with fibrin deposition in vital organs; recognize these as indicators of systemic involvement beyond the gut.
- •Simple obstructive colic cases do not show similar fibrin deposition patterns, supporting the prognostic distinction between mechanical obstruction and ischemic/inflammatory disease.
- •Postmortem fibrin detection may help explain multiorgan failure and sudden deterioration in severe colic cases, informing differential diagnosis and prognostic counseling.
Key Findings
- •Fibrin deposits were detected in 40.7% of ischemic horses, 38.1% of enteritis horses, and 39.0% of peritonitis horses, but in none of the obstructive colic horses and only 1 of 16 slaughter horses.
- •Mean fibrin scores were statistically significantly higher in ischemic (1.3±1.7), enteritis (1.1±1.6), and peritonitis groups (0.9±1.3) compared to obstructive (0.0±0.0) and slaughter groups (0.1±0.5).
- •Lungs contained the largest fibrin deposits among all tissue samples examined (kidney, lung, liver).
- •Fibrin deposition patterns in horses with severe gastrointestinal disease are consistent with capillary microthrombosis and multiorgan failure secondary to DIC.