Gastric dilatation-volvulus in the dog with histological evidence of preexisting inflammatory bowel disease: a retrospective study of 23 cases

The gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV) syndrome in the dog is considered to be multifactorial. The medical records of 42 dogs treated for GDV between 1990 and 1994 were reviewed in an effort to evaluate the correlation between GDV and preexisting gastrointestinal disease. Twenty-three cases fit the inclusion criteria of an intestinal biopsy taken at the time of corrective surgery and a complete medical history. The microscopic jejunal changes expected from the acute vascular compromise in these animals were diffuse edema, dilatation of lymphatics with possible lymphangiectasia, mucosal degeneration, diapedesis of neutrophils, and rare hemorrhage. These changes were discounted. Of the 23 biopsies, 14 (61%) were consistent with the presence of an underlying inflammatory disease, and of these 14, 12 (86%) were accompanied by case histories of prior gastrointestinal disturbances. This study raises the possibility of an association between GDV and inflammatory bowel disease.