Endometritis as a cause of infertility in mares

Abstract

Endometritis is considered the most common cause of infertility in mares, which gives it greater importance in reproductive management, due to the large economic losses it can generate. Persistent inflammation/infection of the uterine mucosa or endometrium, causing a decrease in gestation rates. The factors that must be taken into account on the part of the female, such as defects in anatomy and conformation, lymphatic drainage, myometrial contractions, vascular problems, etc., as well as on the part of the male, such as the semen that causes irritation and inflammatory reaction in the endometrium, are explained. Endometritis is classified as water and chronic infectious endometritis, persistent riding-induced endometritis, endometriosis, endometritis caused by venereal infections. We also mentioned the different defence mechanisms that the mare presents in order to avoid this type of infection. In this dissertation, we address the different types of endometritis and the causes of each one of them, as well as the different types of diagnostic methods that can be applied depending on the type and the most appropriate treatments for each one of them. We must bear in mind that the diagnosis of endometritis should be made from a multimodal approach, based on clinical history, clinical signs, ultrasound, cytology and cultures, endometrial biopsy and histology. The objectives of the treatment of endometritis are threefold, three main objectives: to correct the defects in the uterine defences neutralise pathogens and control post-cubrition inflammation. In addition to the above, reference is made to the indiscriminate use of antibiotics, which may be a key factor as a trigger for some endometritis such as fungal, especially in cases of mares after riding, as a prevention of the appearance of PMIE, and thus decrease the infertility that could generate. In order to be able to recognize the problems generated by this pathology and the signs it causes that help us to identify it, we must know the normal functioning of the reproductive physiology of the mares, in addition to reproductive anatomy as a method of identifying possible problems such as poor physical conformation of the reproductive system, as well as detecting problems in the oestrous cycle of the animal.