Chronic idiopathic inflammatory bowel diseases of the horse

A review of reported cases of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) of horses for which no etiology was identified included cases of granulomatous enteri tis (GE), multisystemic eosinophilic epitheliotropic disease (MEED), lympho cytic-plasmacytic enterocolitis (LPE), and idiopathic eosinophilic enteroco litis (EC). The terms EC and MEED were both used to describe a disease in h orses characterized by infiltration of intestine and extraintestinal tissue s with eosinophils. We use EC to describe IBD characterized by only intesti nal infiltration by eosinophils. Horses with GE, MEED, or LPE are usually e xamined because of weight loss and depression, but horses with EC are usual ly examined because of signs of abdominal pain. Typically, horses with IBD have low concentrations of serumal proteins, especially albumin, and fail t o adequately absorb glucose or xylose. Antemortem diagnosis of IBD can only be made by histologic examination of affected intestine. In some cases, an temortem diagnosis is made from histologic examination of rectal mucosa obt ained by biopsy. Suspected causes of LED in the horse include abnormal immu ne response to bacterial, viral, parasitic, or dietary antigens. Most horse s with IBD do not survive, but horses with EC are more likely than those wi th LPE, MEED, or GE to respond to treatment. Successful treatments of horse s with IBD include resection of grossly affected intestine and administrati on of corticosteroids.