Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

Aortic insufficiency is a very common valve problem in horses and most often affects older individuals, but nevertheless existent within younger ones. The root cause for aortic insufficiency can be varied, for example; endocarditis, ventricular septum defect or congenital valve disease but the most common are progressive valve degeneration or elite competition. Depending on the root cause, different changes can be observed on the aorta valves, but they do all have the same effect, the valves do not seal properly and blood leaks backwards.

Many horses can, even with this deficiency, perform highly without any visible impacts and there is therefore no need to treat those subjects. Most often the symptoms arise at a later stage in life and they are, more often than none, put down for other reasons. In the occurrence of the clinical symptoms showing, treatment guideline is to inhibit these symptoms since the valve degeneration is presently irreversible. Most cases show that the horse is put down for humane, economic or practical reasons.
Today, there is still no safe treatment. Only a few studies are conducted with live patients within physiology and the treatment for horses. Much of the existing knowledge is extrapolated from human or small animal research. This leads to the fact that too little knowledge is to build upon once new studies are conducted or treatment is performed.