Clinical communication — Kliniese mededeling Post-anaesthetic myelomalacia in a horse

INTRODUCTION Anaesthetic mortality in horses is high (approximately 2 %) when compared with small animals. The most prominent causes of equine mortality are cardiovascular collapse and arrest (33.2 %), fractures (25.6 %), myopathes (7 %) and abdominal complications (13.1 %). The literature on anaesthetic-related neurological complications in horses is limited to case studies. Myelomalacia is a rare anaesthetic complication in horses and there have been no controlled studies. Our understanding of this condition is largely based on case studies reported in the literature. In order to improve our understanding of this condition it is vital that each case is carefully documented to allow for a retrospective study of the literature, an assessment of risk factors and identification of possible pathophysiological mechanisms. This article presents the first recorded case of myelomalacia in a horse in South Africa and discusses the current evidence in the literature.