Traumatic injury to the brain in a sport horse

Abstract

Brain injury after impact to the head is due to both immediate mechanical effects and delayed responses of neural tissues. This case report describes the posttraumatic evolution and treatment in a nine years old stallion for sport, which landed on its poll area during a riding competition. The clinicopathologic examination revealed: dilatation of the pupils, absence of the pupillary light reflexes, head tilt, ataxia with tendency to fall at walk and trot, unsteadiness on foot, circling, moderate neutrophilia and mild lymphopenia. After trauma, the horse received a single dose of dexamethasone (0.05mg/kg, IM) but result was uncertain. Ten days later, it was established a treatment with ketoprofen (2.2mg/kg IV) and vitamins B1 and B6 (10 ml IM). After five days of treatment, the horse was showing ataxia and right eye vision deficitis. After another ten days, it was tried a combination of ketoprofen (five days) and vitamins B1 and B6 (five days) with a deproteinized hemoderivative of calf blood product, Actovegin®, (1600mg/day, IV, 14 days), with good results. The horse started an easy training technique preparing for the next riding competitions.