HEMATOMYELIA IN A COLT - A POST ANESTHESIA SURGERY COMPLICATION

A six-month-old colt was presented for evaluation of chronic joint dis tention in the tarsocrural joint. Routine arthroscopy and castration w ere performed on the colt. During recovery, the colt showed signs of d ifficulty to rise. Differential diagnoses were myopathy, peripheral ne uropathy, fracture, and a central neuropathy. The colt was treated wit h intravenous fluid and anti-inflammatory agents. A complete neurologi cal exam was performed and deficits in the rear consistent with upperm otor neuron damage. The owner elected humane destruction of the colt a nd a post-mortem exam was performed. A diagnosis of hemorrhagic myelop athy (hematomyelia) was confirmed. Post anesthetic and surgical hemorr hagic myelopathy (hematomyelia) is a rarely encountered neuropathologi cal condition associated with general anesthesia and surgery in the ho rse. The infrequent occurrence limits opportunities to study contribut ing factors associated with this complication other than on a retrospe ctive basis. This report details clinical observations, anesthetic pro tocol, post anesthetic evaluation attempting to provide physiological suggestions that result in the neurological complication. Previously r eported cases in the literature are evaluated and compared to this cas e, documenting common factors present in all reports.