UTERINE AND OVIDUCTAL INFLAMMATION ANOVULATORY MARES WITH ULTRASONOGRAPHICALLY-DETECTED INTRAUTERINE LUMINAL FLUID

Intrauterine luminal fluid in diestrous mares has been associated with uterine inflammation. The objectives of this study were to measure th e incidence of intrauterine luminal fluid in anovulatory mares, and to determine the association of uterine fluid with uterine and oviductal inflammation. Intrauterine luminal fluid was detected ultrasonographi cally in 18.8% (19/101) of anovulatory mares. Thirteen anovulatory mar es with uterine fluid and 10 anovulatory mares without uterine fluid w ere subsequently re-examined, and their uteri and oviducts were evalua ted histologically for inflammation. Only 43.5% (10/23) of the mares m aintained a fluid (4/10) or non fluid (6/13) condition at their second examination, indicating that intrauterine luminal fluid occurred dyna mically in these anovulatory mares. Moderate to severe uterine inflamm ation was not related with the detection of uterine fluid. A greater i ncidence of moderate to severe uterine inflammation was not detected i n mares with 2 detections of fluid in contrast to mares with 1 or no d etections of fluid. Regardless of the occurrence of uterine fluid or t he amount of uterine inflammation, oviductal inflammation was minimal in the anovulatory mares. (C) 1997 by Elsevier Science Inc.