Successful Treatment of Seminal Vesiculitis with Imipenem-Cilastatin in a Stallion

A 7-year-old thoroughbred stallion presented with severe colic, which was resolved surgically. On postsurgical palpation and rectal ultrasonography, the left seminal vesicle was enlarged, the left testicle and epididymis showed signs of inflammation with hydrocele. Antibiotics and anti-inflammatory treatment were administered. Fever and colic syndrome recurred, with severe inflammation of the left testis and epididymis, and unilateral orchiectomy was performed. Histopathological diagnosis confirmed chronic orchioepididymitis, and Klebsiella pneumoniae was identified and typed from all cultures. At breeding soundness examination 2 months after treatment with ceftiofur, K. pneumoniae was again isolated, and cytology revealed degenerated polymorphonuclear cells and red blood cells. Transurethral endoscopic examination was used to locate the infection in the left seminal vesicle, and ticarcillin-clavulanic was locally infused for 10 days. Nevertheless, the pathogen was once again isolated in the ejaculate, and the affected seminal vesicle was again treated locally for 5 consecutive days, using imipenem-cilastatin, a new antibiotic showing high sensitivity. Follow-up breeding soundness examination revealed an improvement in seminal characteristics and no pathogen isolation. Total pregnancy rate (31 of 36; 86%) and first cycle pregnancy rate (18 of 36; 50%) in the last breeding season reached levels similar to those prior to infection (65 of 82; 80% and 47 of 82; 57% respectively), suggesting that local treatment with imipenem-cilastatin in stallions with seminal vesicle infections is effective and, in this case, did not produce any adhesions or other undesirable effects, permitting the stallion to resume breeding with no apparent deleterious effect on fertility despite having only one testicle.