Abstract
Endoscopic, cytologic, bacteriologic and histologic examinations of the endometrium were performed on 34 subfertile Turkaman cross-bred mares to evaluate the significance of the hysteroscopic method and biopsy as a gyneacological evaluation. Fifty percent of the mares showed pathological changes on endoscopy, including adhesions, fluid accumulation, endometrial cysts and atrophy of the endometrial folds. Three, 23 and 8 cases classified as grades II A, II B and III, respectively, in biopsy samples base on the Kenney and Doig classification [11]. Multiple endometrial cysts occurred in 12 mares (35.3%) and 2 of them were younger than 10 years. Most of the large lymphatic cysts were situated near the bifurcation of the uterine body. Adhesions were found only in one mare. Only 4 of the 17 cases in which endometritis was clearly diagnosed were identified by endoscopy, but none of the endometrial cysts or intraluminal adhesions which were identified by endoscopy were determined by uterine biopsy, cytology and culture. In view of the results of this experiment, it can be concluded that in diagnosing endometritis, biopsy, cytology and culture of the endometrium is more diagnostic than endoscopy, but in differentiating gross pathological changes in the uterus such as intrauterine adhesions and endometrial cysts, endoscopy is more efficient.
