Retained Fetal Membranes in Heavy Draft Mares Associated with Histological Abnormalities

Retention of fetal membranes is one of the most common life-threatening peripartum problems; however, its etiology is still unknown. Draft mares are more likely to retain fetal membranes than other breeds of mares. Because a strong connection between the fetal membranes and the endometrium has been observed in cases of retention, we studied the changes in the endometrium and the allantochorion of heavy draft mares with this condition. Tissue samples were taken from 90 mares that retained the fetal membranes and from 21 that did not. Retained fetal membranes were associated with adhesion of the allantochorion to the endometrium in 88% of the mares; this adhesion depended on the following factors: occurrence of fibrosis both in the lamina propria of the allantochorial villi and in the allantochorial stromal connective tissue, overdevelopment of the allantochorial stromal connective tissue, oversized allantochorial epithelial cells, and sparser and less-branched allantochorial villi.