European College of Equine Internal Medicine consensus statement-Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome in adult horses

Abstract

The term Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome (EGUS) was first used in 1999 to describe gastric ulceration in the horse.1 However, as discussed by Merritt,2 the terminology is commonly misused. The committee reinforces the importance of distinguishing between diseases of the squamous and glandular mucosa because, as discussed in this statement, important differences exist between the two. In human medicine, the term peptic ulcer disease (PUD) is used as an umbrella term to describe erosive and ulcerative diseases of the stomach and it is recognized that a large number of individual diseases are present under the term.3 Furthermore, while some different diseases might share similarities in pathophysiology and treatment regimens, it is recognized in human medicine that the direct extrapolation of either from one specific disease (such as NSAID-associated ulceration) to another (such as Helicobacter pylori associated ulceration) is inappropriate.3