Majcher Anna M, Troillet Antonia, Gerlach Kerstin, Tönnies Paul R, Brehm Walter, Ulrich Reiner
Institute of Veterinary Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany.
Department for Horses, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany.
J Vet Diagn Invest. 2025 Aug 21:10406387251362462. doi: 10.1177/10406387251362462.
Nine days after a surgical intervention due to an injury of the left hind hoof capsule, a 9-y-old, 538-kg female Wielkopolski horse was found recumbent in its stall with an unplugged permanent intravenous catheter positioned in the left jugular vein. Despite immediate resuscitation attempts, the animal died within minutes. Suspecting venous air embolism, radiographic imaging and detailed postmortem examinations were performed. However, visualization of the heart by radiography was hindered by the animal's body mass and postmortem changes. The autopsy followed a modified Richter method, originally developed for diagnosing air embolism in humans. The horse was positioned in left lateral recumbency to allow in situ access to the atria and venous sinuses. Gas bubbles observed in the right atrium and ventricle confirmed venous air embolism as the cause of death. Venous air embolism is a rarely documented cause of death in veterinary pathology. We present here an autopsy protocol for diagnosis of venous air embolism in large animals, which is primarily a macroscopic diagnosis.
一匹9岁、体重538千克的雌性维耶科波尔斯基马因左后蹄甲受伤接受手术干预九天后，被发现侧卧在厩舍中，左颈静脉内的永久性静脉导管未堵塞。尽管立即进行了复苏尝试，但这匹马在几分钟内死亡。怀疑是静脉空气栓塞，于是进行了放射成像和详细的尸检。然而，由于动物体重和死后变化，通过放射成像观察心脏受到了阻碍。尸检采用了改良的里希特方法，该方法最初是为诊断人类空气栓塞而开发的。将马置于左侧卧位，以便原位进入心房和静脉窦。在右心房和心室中观察到的气泡证实静脉空气栓塞是死亡原因。静脉空气栓塞是兽医病理学中鲜有记录的死亡原因。我们在此介绍一种用于诊断大型动物静脉空气栓塞的尸检方案，该方案主要是宏观诊断。
