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Topic:Diagnosis
Diagnosis in horses involves the systematic identification of diseases and conditions affecting equine health. This process relies on a combination of clinical evaluations, laboratory tests, imaging techniques, and other diagnostic tools to assess the health status of horses. Veterinarians utilize these methods to identify symptoms, determine the underlying causes of health issues, and formulate appropriate treatment plans. Diagnostic procedures in equine medicine can include blood tests, ultrasound, radiography, endoscopy, and more specialized tests such as genetic screening or advanced imaging modalities like MRI and CT scans. This page aggregates peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore various diagnostic techniques, their applications, and advancements in the field of equine veterinary medicine.
Comparison of three methods of DNA extraction from peripheral blood mononuclear cells and lung fragments of equines. We compared three different protocols for DNA extraction from horse peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and lung fragments, determining average final DNA concentration, purity, percentage of PCR amplification using beta-actin, and cost. Thirty-four samples from PBMC, and 33 samples from lung fragments were submitted to DNA extraction by three different protocols. Protocol A consisted of a phenol-chloroform and isoamylic alcohol extraction, Protocol B used alkaline extraction with NaOH, and Protocol C used the DNAzol((R)) reagent kit. Protocol A was the best option for DNA extraction from...
Extraluminal, C shaped polyethylene prostheses in two ponies with tracheal collapse. To describe the surgical technique, complications, and outcome after use of extraluminal prostheses in 2 ponies with severe tracheal collapse. Methods: Clinical report. Methods: Ponies (n=2) with severe tracheal collapse. Methods: A ventral median approach was used to expose the trachea from the larynx to the manubrium. Extraluminal, high-density polyethylene, C-shaped prostheses were sutured to the dorsal tracheal membrane and tracheal rings to provide external tracheal support. Results: The surgical approach provided good tracheal access and placement of the rings was uncomplicated. Initial ...
Development of a new primer-probe energy transfer method for the differentiation of neuropathogenic and non-neuropathogenic strains of equine herpesvirus-1. Equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) is a major pathogen of horses with worldwide distribution that can cause various clinical signs ranged from mild respiratory disease to neurological symptoms. Comparison of neuropathogenic and non-neuropathogenic EHV-1 strains revealed that a single non-synonymous nucleotide substitution (A/G2254) in the ORF30 region is associated with the altered functions of the viral DNA polymerase and therefore the neuropathogenicity of EHV-1 virus strains. The aim of the present study was the development of a new differentiation method of this particular single nucleotide poly...
Field treatment and management of endocrinopathic laminitis in horses and ponies. Endocrinopathic laminitis in horses and ponies has the potential to cause extensive damage to the feet before clinical signs of laminitis are apparent. Early diagnosis and intervention based on the detection and control of hyperinsulinemia are critical if the crippling changes that are seen in the disease are to be avoided. Preventing endocrinopathic laminitis, rather than treating it, is good practice management benefiting not only equine patients but also their owners.
Clinical presentation, diagnosis, and prognosis of chronic laminitis in Europe. The terminology relating to laminitis is confusing. This article describes how equine veterinarians, by using their eyes and fingers alone, can diagnose and evaluate a case of chronic laminitis. This evaluation will enable veterinarians to give a statistically significant prognosis that can be further refined by measurements taken from plain, weight-bearing lateromedial radiographs of the affected hooves. Should invasive techniques such as digital venography also be used, the results of both techniques are complementary.
Supporting limb laminitis. Supporting limb laminitis poses a threat to all horses suffering from severe unilateral lameness. Despite its devastating effects, relatively little is known about the precise pathologic processes that lead to its development. This article reviews the potential mechanisms of supporting limb laminitis, and the authors present some preliminary data based on advanced imaging and computer-based modeling techniques aimed at further elucidating the etiology of this unique form of laminitis. Gaining a better understanding of the pathologic processes that lead to supporting limb laminitis is essential...
The effects of pentoxifylline on equine platelet aggregation. Pentoxifylline (PTX) possesses a number of vasomotor, immunomodulatory, and hemorheologic properties. Based upon the hypothesis that equine laminitis and navicular disease result from microthrombosis, the inhibitory effects of PTX on inflammatory cytokines, and its inhibitory effects on human platelet aggregation, PTX has been widely used to treat equine endotoxemia, navicular disease, and laminitis. Despite this, the effects of PTX on equine platelet aggregation have not been investigated previously. Objective: PTX decreases platelet aggregation in equine whole blood at concentrations approxi...
Supporting limb laminitis. Supporting limb laminitis poses a threat to all horses suffering from severe unilateral lameness. Despite its devastating effects, relatively little is known about the precise pathologic processes that lead to its development. This article reviews the potential mechanisms of supporting limb laminitis, and the authors present some preliminary data based on advanced imaging and computer-based modeling techniques aimed at further elucidating the etiology of this unique form of laminitis. Gaining a better understanding of the pathologic processes that lead to supporting limb laminitis is essential...
Current concepts on the pathophysiology of pasture-associated laminitis. Epidemiologic studies indicate that most laminitis cases occur in horses and ponies kept at pasture, hence the term 'pasture-associated laminitis'. Clinical cases of laminitis most often occur under conditions that favor accumulation of rapidly fermentable nonstructural carbohydrates (fructans, simple sugars, or starches) in pasture, and animals with an equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) phenotype (insulin resistance, abnormal insulin dynamics, +/- obesity) seem to be at highest risk for developing the condition. Although the mechanisms linking consumption of pasture forage with development of la...
Farriery for chronic laminitis. Laminitis is considered chronic once the distal phalanx has displaced within the hoof capsule. Chronic laminitis generally occurs as a direct sequel to acute laminitis. Clinical evaluation of chronic laminitis is best performed with a thorough clinical examination and radiography. The mainstay of hoof care is therapeutic farriery. In this article, the goals and principles of hoof care, the appropriate trim and various shoes that form the bulk of farriery for chronic laminitis, and surgical treatments are discussed.
Digital venography in horses and its clinical application in Europe. Clinical diagnostic venography allows in vivo visualization of the digital venous system and the effects of venocompression related to foot load and laminitis pathology. Venography has predictive potential and helps the clinician anticipate and treat laminitis tissue damage before it is detectable by plain radiography. The authors describe the podiatry radiographic technique to correctly perform digital venography and the modifications they have developed. The authors provide guidelines for the interpretation of laminitis venograms in the context of laminitis chronology. Frequent venographic m...
Chronic laminitis: foot management. Laminitis is a disease of the suspensory apparatus of the distal phalanx, which can advance to the chronic stage with varying degrees of structural failure. Because the disease may ultimately lead to mechanical failure of the digit, a foot management plan is required to effectively and mechanically treat these cases. Many laminitis cases can be successfully rehabilitated back to athletic soundness, light use, breeding, or pasture soundness, whereas others suffer from permanent instability and never enjoy an acceptable level of comfort. To understand how to minimize damage in the acute laminiti...
Clinical features and prognostic variables in 109 horses with esophageal obstruction (1992-2009). Esophageal obstruction is common in horses and can result in life-threatening complications. Previous studies have described clinical findings in horses with esophageal obstruction, but there are no reports that attempt to make correlations of clinical findings with outcome. Objective: Specific clinical features of horses with esophageal obstruction are associated with increased likelihood of complications. Methods: One hundred and nine horses with esophageal obstruction. Methods: Retrospective cross-sectional study. All clinical records of horses admitted between April 1992 and February 2009 ...
First aid for the laminitic foot: therapeutic and mechanical support. The goals of mechanical treatment during the acute phase of laminitis are to preserve the lamellar interface by reducing the forces that are compromising its integrity and to make the horse more comfortable. Early decision making is important in managing acute laminitis. This article helps the practitioner to identify some of the commonly used and accepted methods of protecting the laminitic foot. The materials available and the theories behind their use are also described. The laminitic foot needs to be understood before determining methods for its support. Most treatment options involve shif...
Evaluation of a transvaginal laparoscopic natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery approach to the abdomen of mares. To report natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) using laparoscopic and endoscopic instrumentation transvaginally into the mare's abdomen and identify structures visible using this approach. Methods: Descriptive experimental study. Methods: Mares (n=8). Methods: A standing, transvaginal approach was made in the cranial vaginal vault at either the 1 (right; 4 mares) or 11 (left; 4 mares) o'clock position relative to the cervix. The abdomen was visually explored and the viscera evaluated using a 2 m flexible endoscope followed by a 62 cm laparoscope. Incisional healing was monit...
Morphology and diagnosis of the fourth-stage larva of Coronocyclus labratus (Looss, 1900) (Nematoda: Strongyloidea) parasitising equids. The fourth larval stage (L4) of Coronocyclus labratus (Looss, 1900) Hartwich, 1986, one of the common species of the Cyathostominae found in equids, is identified and described. The larvae found were identified as C. labratus by finding moulting forms possessing characters of both larval and adult stages. The larvae are similar to those of Cylicocyclus leptostomum (Kotlán, 1920) Foster, 1936, Cyathostomum catinatum Looss, 1900 and Cylicostephanus goldi (Boulenger, 1917) Lichtenfels, 1975. The buccal capsule (BC) wall of the L4 of Cylicocyclus leptostomum is thinner than that of Coronocyclus l...
Thymic epithelial tumor with heart metastasis in a horse. Thymic malignancy is rare in horses. Thymic epithelial tumor was diagnosed in an 18-year-old mare with invasion and metastasis to the pericardium and heart. At necropsy, the cranial thoracic cavity was obliterated by a large mass located in the thymic region and the right atrium was also expanded and effaced by a similar mass. Histologically, the neoplasm was composed of sheets of spindle cells with intraparenchymal Hassall's corpuscles and formation of pseudorosettes around blood vessels compatible with type A thymic epithelial tumor according to World Health Organization classification. The ...
Extended phylogeny of the equine arteritis virus sequences including South American sequences. To perform genetic analysis of the ORF5 of equine arteritis virus (EAV) may provide new insights into the genetic evolution and origin of the Argentinean EAV sequences. Methods: A total of 76 sequences were analyzed by neighbor joining (NJ), maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood algorithms. The analysis of the selective pressures was performed using the Tajima's test. Results: The trees showed similar topologies. Two clades were identified: the first clade was formed by strains isolated mainly from a donkey, whereas the second clade presented four large groups from different geographic regi...
Cutaneous and pulmonal habronemosis transmitted by Musca domestica in a stable in the United Arab Emirates. Nematode larvae found in histological cuts of lung tissue of a horse from a farm in Al Dhaid (UAE) were determined to belong to the Habronematidae family. The clinical examination of the other 18 horses present in the farm revealed summer sores (cutaneous habronemosis) in two stallions. Nematode larvae were found in 147 (=26.2%) out of 561 male but only in 64 (=8.7%) out of 739 female Musca domestica caught at the farm in November and December 2008. Conversely, all 15 Stomoxys calcitrans specimens caught in the farm resulted negative for nematode larvae. The housefly population caught in the b...
Blood cells RNA biomarkers as a first long-term detection strategy for EPO abuse in horseracing. Recombinant human erythropoietins (rHuEPOs) are glycoproteins drugs, produced by the pharmaceutical industry to restore production of red blood cells by stimulating human bone marrow for which this pathology has been diagnosed. It is suspected that these molecules are diverted as doping agents in horseracing to enhance oxygen transport and aerobic power in racehorses. Although indirect double-blotting or direct liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) methods have been developed to confirm the presence of rHuEPO in a sample, the short detection time (48 h) is still a problem for doping ...
Development of a DNA microarray for detection of expressed equine classical MHC class I sequences in a defined population. Development of an accurate and efficient molecular-based equine MHC class I typing method would facilitate the study of T lymphocyte immune responses in horses. Here, a DNA microarray was designed to detect expressed classical MHC class I genes comprising serologically defined equine leukocyte antigen (ELA)-A haplotypes represented in a closed Arabian horse breeding herd. Initially, cloning and sequencing of RT-PCR products were used to identify sequences associated with the ELA-A1, A4, and W11 haplotypes, and one undefined haplotype, in six horses. Subsequently, sequence-specific, conserved (...
In vitro comparison of two centrally threaded, positive-profile transfixation pin designs for use in third metacarpal bones in horses. To compare heat generation during insertion, pullout strength, and associated microdamage between a self-tapping positive profile transfixation pin (STTP) and nontapping positive profile transfixation pin (NTTP). Methods: 30 pairs of third metacarpal bones (MC3s) from adult equine cadavers. Methods: One MC3 of each pair was assigned to the STTP group; the other was assigned to the NTTP group. The assigned pin was inserted into the diaphysis in a lateral to medial direction. Bone temperature increase during pilot-hole drilling and pin insertion was recorded at 1 mm from the final thread positio...
Thoracoscopic lung biopsies in heaves-affected horses using a bipolar tissue sealing system. To validate the use of the LigaSure™ Vessel Sealing System (LVSS) to perform thoracoscopic lung tissue biopsies in heaves-affected horses. Methods: Prospective clinical study. Methods: Heaves-affected horses (n=12). Methods: Lung biopsies (n=34) were collected with the LVSS (2-4 biopsies/horse) in horses with and without clinical signs of heaves. Thoracoscope (13th intercostal space [ICS]) and 2 instruments (between the 12-15th ICS) portals were used. Selected clinical and arterial blood gas variables were monitored. Postoperative pneumothorax was evaluated. Depth of thermal injury to the su...
Standing lateral thoracotomy in horses: indications, complications, and outcomes. To describe the indications for, complications arising from, and outcome of horses that had standing lateral thoracotomy for pleural or pericardial disease. Methods: Case series. Methods: Horses (n=16). Methods: Medical records (January 1990-December 2008) of sedated standing horses that had lateral thoracotomy were reviewed. Clinical and surgical findings, perioperative and short-term complications were recorded. Long-term (>6 months) outcome was determined through telephone conversations with owners and veterinarians. Results: Mean (±SD) horse age was 6.6±5.3 years (range, 1-15 years). ...
Expression of inflammation-associated genes in circulating leukocytes collected from horses with gastrointestinal tract disease. To investigate whether expression of inflammation-associated genes in leukocytes from horses with gastrointestinal tract (GIT) diseases correlated with the type of disease and outcome. Methods: 10 healthy horses and 50 horses with GIT disease. Methods: A blood sample was collected from each healthy horse or horse with GIT disease (during admission to the hospital). Leukocytes were isolated, diluted to a standard concentration, and frozen until RNA extraction. Expression of 14 genes associated with inflammation was quantified by use of a real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR assay. R...
Primary epitheliotropic intestinal T-cell lymphoma as a cause of diarrhea in a horse. A 25-year-old Appaloosa gelding was evaluated for chronic weight loss and diarrhea. A clinical diagnosis of protein loosing enteropathy was made and the gelding was euthanized. Histology revealed neoplastic lymphocytes infiltrating the mucosa of the small and large intestine. Immunohistochemistry was positive for CD3, consistent with epitheliotropic T-cell lymphoma. Lymphome T intestinal épithéliotrope primaire comme cause de diarrhée chez un cheval. Un hongre appaloosa âgé de 25 ans a été évalué pour perte de poids et diarrhée chronique. Un diagnostic clinique d’entéropathie avec...
Pemoline and tetramisole ‘positives’ in english racehorses following levamisole administration. Pemoline is a central nervous system stimulant that has been used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and narcolepsy in humans; its identification in horses could be considered evidence of attempts to influence performance. Two recent pemoline 'positives' in English racehorses led us to review the chemical relationships between tetramisole, levamisole, aminorex and pemoline. Pemoline is a simple oxidation product of aminorex, which has been shown in the United States and elsewhere to be an equine metabolite of levamisole. Based on the clear structural relationships between aminor...
