Je. Parker et Pc. Rakestraw, INTRAABDOMINAL TESTICULAR TORSION IN A HORSE WITHOUT SIGNS OF COLIC, Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 210(3), 1997, pp. 375
A 5-year-old Quarter Horse stallion was admitted for cryptorchidectomy
. Abnormalities were not found on physical examination, except for an
undescended left testis. Cryptorchidectomy was performed, using an ing
uinal approach. The tail of the epididymis was in the inguinal canal,
and the testis was adjacent to the internal inguinal ring. The testis
was dark reddish purple to black, resulting from torsion at the level
of the body of the epididymis. On histologic examination, the left tes
tis was necrotic, except for the tunica albuginea and tunica vaginalis
visceralis covering the testis. Intra-abdominal testicular torsion de
veloped without signs of abdominal pain and resulted in necrosis of th
e affected testis. If cryptorchidectomy had not been performed, it is
likely that the horse would have been found to be monorchid. Unrecogni
zed intra-abdominal testicular torsion may be the cause of monorchidis
m in some horses.