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- Normal for abdominal US in foals
Tiago Fernandes 1, Benjamin Uberti 1, Matthew Robin 1
Background
Ultrasonography is a critical diagnostic tool for evaluating equine abdominal and cardiac health. While reference ranges exist for adult horses of various breeds, longitudinal ultrasonographic data in Arabian foals—especially concerning abdominal viscera and cardiac measurements—are lacking. The study aimed to establish age-specific ultrasonographic reference intervals for abdominal and cardiac structures in Arabian foals from birth to one year of age, based on the hypothesis that these structures increase in size with age.
Methods
This was a prospective longitudinal descriptive study conducted on 15 healthy Arabian foals (5 males, 10 females) born at a breeding center in Qatar. Foals underwent ultrasonographic examinations every 3 months from 1 week to 1 year of age. Abdominal imaging employed linear or convex probes, while cardiac imaging used a phased-array probe. A standardized imaging protocol was followed, and at least three nonconsecutive images were taken for each anatomical site at each time point. Measurements were repeated three times by the same observer for consistency. Statistical analysis included linear mixed models with age and sex as fixed effects, and reference intervals were calculated using robust methods suitable for small sample sizes.
Results
All abdominal structures measured increased in size with age. Cardiac parameters also showed growth, except for interventricular septal thickness at end-diastole (IVSd) and fractional shortening (%FS), which remained unchanged. No significant sex-related differences were found in any variables. The coefficient of variation was below 10% for all measurements except caecal wall thickness (18.75%), indicating high measurement reliability.
Limitations
The main limitation was the small sample size, determined to detect changes over time rather than to establish universally accepted reference ranges. Other limitations included the inability to measure body weight, reliance on a single static image per measurement, and the limited genetic diversity due to foals originating from a single stud of show Arabians.
Conclusions
This study provides the first longitudinal ultrasonographic reference values for abdominal and cardiac structures in Arabian foals up to 1 year of age. These reference intervals will improve diagnostic accuracy and clinical decision-making for abdominal and cardiac assessments in this specific equine population.
1) Transabdominal ultrasonographic image using a 4-MHz convex probe of the right kidney. The grey scale bar is on the leftside of the image, and the scale in centimetres is on the right side. Landmarks to measure the left renal length (1a), width (1b), and corticalthickness (1c) are shown. (2) Transabdominal ultrasonographic image using a 4-MHz convex probe of the left kidney. The grey scale bar is on theleft side of the image, and the scale in centimetres is on the right side. Landmarks to measure the left renal length (2a), width (2b), and corticalthickness (2c) are shown. (3) Transabdominal ultrasonographic image using a 4-MHz convex probe of the right kidney. The grey scale bar is on theleft side of the image, and the scale in centimetres is on the right side. Landmarks to measure the luminal width of the abdominal aorta (3a) areshown.F I G U R E S 4 – 6 (4) Transabdominal ultrasonographic image using a 4.5-MHz convex probe at a depth of 10 cm of the cecum vessels. Thescale in centimetres is on the right side of the image. Landmarks to measure the cecum vessels (4a) are shown. (5) Transabdominalultrasonographic image using a 4.5-MHz convex probe at a depth of 10 cm of the caecal wall. The grey scale bar is on the left side of the imageand the scale in centimetres is on the right side. Landmarks to measure the caecal wall thickness (5a) are shown. (6). Transabdominalultrasonographic image using a 4.5-MHz convex probe at a depth of 10 cm of the stomach wall. The grey scale bar is on the left side of the imageand the scale in centimetres is on the right side. Landmarks to measure the stomach wall thickness (6a) are shown.
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