Topic:Clinical Pathology
Clinical pathology in horses involves the study and analysis of biological samples to diagnose and monitor diseases and health conditions. This discipline encompasses various laboratory tests and procedures that assess the physiological and biochemical status of equines. Common analyses include hematology, biochemistry, urinalysis, and cytology, each providing insights into different aspects of equine health. Hematology evaluates blood components, such as red and white blood cells and platelets, to identify conditions like anemia or infection. Biochemistry tests measure enzymes, electrolytes, and metabolites to assess organ function and metabolic status. Urinalysis examines urine samples for indicators of renal function and systemic diseases. Cytology involves the microscopic examination of cells from tissues or fluids to detect abnormalities. This page aggregates peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the methodologies, applications, and diagnostic value of clinical pathology in equine medicine.
Balantidium coli-infection in a Finnish horse. Balantidium coli is a ciliated protozoan that inhabits the large intestine of swine, man, rodents, and nonhuman primates. Frequently this organism is associated with enteric diseases in man and nonhuman primates, with rare manifestations of disease in swine and other mammalian species. This report describes a case of B. coli-induced enteric disease in a 15-yr-old, mare, Finnish Horse after an acute onset of colic. Severe hemorrhagic and eosinophilic colitis with intense infiltration of intralesional B. coli-like ciliated protozoan were found histologically.
Risk factors associated with an outbreak of equine coronavirus at a large farm in North Carolina. Equine coronavirus (ECoV) leads to outbreaks with variable morbidity and mortality. Few previous reports of risk factors for infection are available in the literature. Unassigned: To describe unique clinical findings and risk factors for infection and development of clinical disease. Unassigned: 135 horses on a farm affected by ECoV outbreak. Unassigned: Retrospective cohort study. Data obtained included age, breed, gender, activity level, housing, and feed at the onset of the outbreak. Factors were evaluated for assessment of risk of infection using simple logistic regression or Fisher's exac...
Monitoring acute equine visceral pain with the Equine Utrecht University Scale for Composite Pain Assessment (EQUUS-COMPASS) and the Equine Utrecht University Scale for Facial Assessment of Pain (EQUUS-FAP): A validation study. This study presents the validation of two recently described pain scales, the Equine Utrecht University Scale for Composite Pain Assessment (EQUUS-COMPASS) and the Equine Utrecht University Scale for Facial Assessment of Pain (EQUUS-FAP), in horses with acute colic. A follow-up cohort study of 46 adult horses (n = 23 with acute colic; n = 23 healthy control horses) was performed for validation and refinement of the constructed scales. Both pain scales showed statistically significant differences between horses with colic and healthy control horses, and between horses with colic that co...
T-shaped malformation of the ventral colon in a Thoroughbred filly with colic. A 4-month-old Thoroughbred filly presented for abdominal pain was diagnosed with a T-shaped malformation of the ventral colon at exploratory laparotomy. Following resection and anastomosis of the large colon, no further episodes of abdominal pain occurred during a 12-month follow-up. Acute dehiscence of the linea alba occurred as a complication of the initial laparotomy, but was successfully managed following additional surgical repair. T-shaped malformation of the ventral colon has not previously been reported and is considered a congenital malformation of mesocolon formation.
Serosal injury in the equine jejunum and ascending colon after ischemia-reperfusion or intraluminal distention and decompression. To document morphologic changes that occur in equine intestinal serosa after experimentally induced ischemia and subsequent reperfusion (jejunum, ascending colon) or after intraluminal distention and decompression (jejunum). Methods: Morphologic effects of ischemia-reperfusion or intraluminal distention-decompression determined on the serosal layer of the equine jejunum. The large colon serosa was evaluated after ischemia-reperfusion injury. Methods: Seven adult horses. Methods: After induction of general anesthesia and ventral median celiotomy, ischemia was created by arteriovenous (AVO) and ...
Detection of experimental cartilage damage with acoustic emissions technique: An in vitro equine study. In horses, osteoarthritis (OA) mostly affects metacarpophalangeal and metatarsophalangeal (fetlock) joints. The current modalities used for diagnosis of equine limb disorders lack ability to detect early OA. Here, we propose a new alternative approach to assess experimental cartilage damage in fetlock joint using Acoustic Emissions (AE). Objective: To evaluate the potential of AE technique in diagnosing OA and see how AE signals changes with increasing severity of OA. Methods: An in vitro experimental study. Methods: A total of 16 distal limbs (8 forelimbs and 8 hindlimbs) from six Finn horses...
Effectiveness of ivermectin in the treatment of equine Parascaris equorum and Oxyuris equi infections. Fifteen horses harboring naturally acquired, patent Parascaris equorum and Oxyuris equi infections were equally allotted to 3 treatment groups given (1) injectable vehicle; (2) injectable ivermectin at the dose rate of 200 microgram/kg of body weight; and (3) injectable ivermectin at the rate of 300 microgram/kg. All treatments were given IM in the neck. All animals were killed 14 days after treatment and examined for the targeted nematodes. Regardless of dose rate, ivermectin proved 100% effective in the removal of adult O equi and P equorum infections. Levels of immature P equorum were decre...
Disorders of the larynx. The upper respiratory tract is a frequent cause of exercise intolerance in horses, particularly in racing horses. There are a myriad of laryngeal abnormalities that may restrict airflow at the rima glottidis. Careful endoscopic examination is a crucial part of the examination of any racing horse suffering from poor performance. There has recently been interest in spectrum analysis of respiratory sounds. It has been determined that laryngeal hemiplegia and dorsal displacement of the soft palate have unique sound patterns. Therefore, spectrum analysis of respiratory sounds may prove to be useful...
Evaluation of the safety, immunogenicity, and pharmacokinetic profile of a new, highly purified, heat-treated equine rabies immunoglobulin, administered either alone or in association with a purified, Vero-cell rabies vaccine. A clinical evaluation of a new, purified, heat-treated equine rabies immunoglobulin (PHT-Erig), F(ab')2 preparation, was carried out in Thailand and in the Philippines-two countries where rabies is endemic. An initial prospective, randomised, controlled trial (Study 1), compared the safety and pharmacokinetics (serum concentrations of rabies antibodies) after administration either of PHT-Erig or of a commercially-available, equine rabies immune globulin (Erig PMC). A second trial (Study 2) simulated post-exposure rabies prophylaxis by using a reference cell culture vaccine, the purified Vero-c...
Polysaccharide storage myopathy in the M. longissimus lumborum of showjumpers and dressage horses with back pain. This study was designed to investigate whether horses with clinical signs of back pain due to suspected soft tissue injuries were affected by polysaccharide storage myopathy (PSSM). Diagnosis of PSSM in muscle biopsies obtained from the M. longissimus lumborum of 5 showjumpers and 4 dressage horses with a history of back pain is reported. M. longissimus lumborum biopsies of these horses were characterised histopathologically and in 3/9 cases also by electron microscopy. Observations were compared with M. gluteus biopsies of the same horses, and with M. gluteus biopsies obtained from 6 Standard...
Differences in extracellular matrix proteins between Friesian horses with aortic rupture, unaffected Friesians and Warmblood horses. Unlike in Warmblood horses, aortic rupture is quite common in Friesian horses, in which a hereditary trait is suspected. The aortic connective tissue in affected Friesians shows histological changes such as medial necrosis, elastic fibre fragmentation, mucoid material accumulation and fibrosis with aberrant collagen morphology. However, ultrastructural examination of the collagen fibres of the mid-thoracic aorta has been inconclusive in further elucidating the pathogenesis of the disease. Objective: To assess several extracellular matrix (ECM) components biochemically in order to explore a pos...