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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.
Evidence for vascular and enzymatic events in the pathophysiology of acute laminitis: which pathway is responsible for initiation of this process in horses? To date, there is a substantial amount of data to support the hypotheses that vascular and enzymatic changes are ongoing in experimental laminitis. Furthermore, there is substantial in vitro evidence that the enzymatic changes weaken the dermo-epidermal attachments leading to mechanical failure of the hoof-bone interface of the equine digit. However, investigators of both the vascular and enzymatic theories have, to date, been unable to substantiate the effects of these pathophysiological changes in vivo on laminar tissues of horses afflicted with experimentally induced or naturally acquired l...
Sirius red is able to selectively stain eosinophil granulocytes in bovine, ovine and equine cervical tissue. The aim of the present study was to examine the suitability of sirius red staining for selective light microscopic demonstration of eosinophil granulocytes in cervical tissue of mares, cows and sheep. For this purpose, tissue was fixed in 4% neutral buffered formol or in Bouin's solution. Paraffin sections of 5-microm thickness were stained with sirius red. In cows, mares and sheep a selective distinction of eosinophilic infiltration is successful after both fixation methods.
Clinical West Nile virus infection in 2 horses in western Canada. Two horses had a history of ataxia and weakness or recumbency. One recovered and was diagnosed with West Nile virus (WNV) infection by serologic testing. The other was euthanized; it had meningoencephalomyelitis, WNV was detected by polymerase chain reaction. West Nile virus infection is an emerging disease. Year 2002 is the first year in which cases have been seen in Saskatchewan. Deux chevaux présentaient une histoire d’ataxie et de faiblesse ou de décubitus. Un cheval s’est rétabli et un diagnostic d’infection au virus du Nil occidental (VNO) a été posé par épreuve sérologiqu...
Desmoplakin and Plakoglobin–specific markers of lymphatic vessels in the skin? Monoclonal antibodies against Desmoplakin and Plakoglobin were tested for their suitability as specific markers of lymphatic vessels. The tissue samples were taken from horse skin in an attempt to establish the horse as a model for human lymphatic diseases. To obtain a clear, positive identification of blood and lymphatic vessels, immunohistochemical staining with antibodies against vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 3 (VEGFR-3) and platelet endothelial adhesion molecule (PECAM-1, CD31), was compared with Desmoplakin and Plakoglobin. Because anti-VEGFR-3 is specific for lymphatic vess...
Assessment of apoptosis in epidermal lamellar cells in clinically normal horses and those with laminitis. To determine and compare the number, type, location, and distribution of apoptotic epidermal cells in the laminae of clinically normal horses and horses with laminitis. Methods: Formalin-fixed samples of digital lamellar tissue from 47 horses (including clinically normal horses [controls; n = 7], horses with acute [4] and chronic [7] naturally acquired laminitis, and horses with black walnut extract-induced [11] or carbohydrate overload-induced [18] laminitis). Methods: Blocks of paraffin-embedded lamellar tissues were stained for DNA fragmentation with the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferas...
Evaluation of a sensor-based system of motion analysis for detection and quantification of forelimb and hind limb lameness in horses. To compare a sensor-based accelerometer-gyroscopic (A-G) system with a video-based motion analysis system (VMAS) technique for detection and quantification of lameness in horses. Methods: 8 adult horses. Methods: 2 horses were evaluated once, 2 had navicular disease and were evaluated before and after nerve blocks, and 4 had 2 levels of shoe-induced lameness, alternatively, in each of 4 limbs. Horses were instrumented with an accelerometer transducer on the head and pelvis, a gyroscopic transducer on the right forelimb and hind feet, and a receiver-transmitter. Signals from the A-G system were...
Antimicrobial susceptibility of equine and environmental isolates of Clostridium difficile. The antimicrobial susceptibility of 50 Clostridium difficile isolates, 36 of them from horse feces and 14 from environmental sites, was determined by broth microdilution. The antimicrobial agents tested were avilamycin, cephalothin, chloramphenicol, clindamycin, erythromycin, gentamicin, neomycin, oxacillin, oxytetracycline, penicillin, spiramycin, streptomycin, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, vancomycin, and virginiamycin. All isolates were susceptible to vancomycin (MIC 16 microg/ml), oxytetracycline (MIC >/=32 microg/ml), spiramycin (MIC > 16 microg/ml), and virginiamycin (MIC 8-16 mi...
Assessment of subchondral bone mineral density in equine metacarpophalangeal and stifle joints. Functional relationships between articular cartilage and underlying subchondral bone have been shown to be associated with the progression of osteoarthritis (OA). However, quantifiable factors substantiating this relationship do not exist. Therefore, the study objective involved quantifying subchondral bone mineral density (BMD) of the equine metacarpophalangeal (MCP) and stifle joints as a step in determining if regional subchondral BMD may be associated with OA changes. BMD was bilaterally quantified using dual energy xray absorptiometry (DEXA) for four subchondral regions: palmer and dorsal...
The mare reproductive loss syndrome and the eastern tent caterpillar: a toxicokinetic/statistical analysis with clinical, epidemiologic, and mechanistic implications. During 2001, central Kentucky experienced acute transient epidemics of early and late fetal losses, pericarditis, and unilateral endophthalmitis, collectively referred to as mare reproductive loss syndrome (MRLS). A toxicokinetic/statistical analysis of experimental and field MRLS data was conducted using accelerated failure time (AFT) analysis of abortions following administration of Eastern tent caterpillars (ETCs; 100 or 50 g/day or 100 g of irradiated caterpillars/day) to late-term pregnant mares. In addition, 2001 late-term fetal loss field data were used in the analysis. Experimental dat...
An assessment of equine cartilage degeneration. Millions of Americans suffer from osteoarthritis, a joint disease characterized by cartilage degradation and subchondral bone sclerosis. However, little is known about its pathology. It remains to be discovered which comes first in the progression of osteoarthritis: subchondral bone remodeling or cartilage degeneration. This study assessed equine cartilage degeneration, based upon measurements of cartilage thickness and Indian ink stain uptake. By gaining a greater understanding of the determining factors in cartilage degeneration, we may be able to better understand the pathomechanics of oste...
Equine cardiovascular pathology: an overview. The few data collections that evaluate the involvement of organ systems in horse diseases are in agreement that the locomotor, gastrointestinal and nervous systems are the sites of primary disease in the vast majority of sick horses. When compared with diseases of these organ systems, equine cardiovascular diseases occur infrequently. The most detailed and comprehensive survey of equine cardiac pathology was reported in 1972 by Else and Holmes, who summarized the gross and microscopic cardiac findings from 1500 abattoir horses. This paper reviews the pathology of the cardiovascular diseases ty...
Summer pheasant’s eye (Adonis aestivalis) poisoning in three horses. Three horses died as a result of eating grass hay containing summer pheasant's eye (Adonis aestivalis L.), a plant containing cardenolides similar to oleander and foxglove. A 9-year-old thoroughbred gelding, a 20-year-old appaloosa gelding, and a 5-year-old quarter horse gelding initially presented with signs of colic 24-48 hours after first exposure to the hay. Gastrointestinal gaseous distension was the primary finding on clinical examination of all three horses. Two horses became moribund and were euthanatized 1 day after first showing clinical signs, and the third horse was euthanatized af...
Helcococcus ovis isolated from a pulmonary abscess in a horse. Helcococcus ovis, a recently described organism cultured from sheep, was isolated in pure culture from a pulmonary abscess in a horse. This is the first report of this organism in horses and the first report in veterinary medicine to clearly demonstrate a pathogenic role for this organism.
Benign fibrous histiocytoma of prepuce in the mule. Here we present a case of preputial benign fibrous histiocytoma in a 7-year-old mule. This case was treated surgically. Pathologic analysis and diagnosis of these lesions were based on a combination of light microscopy and immunohistochemistry. Histologically, the tumour was composed primarily of a storiform pattern of fibroblastic and poligonal cells. In immunohistochemistry, except for consistent immunoreactivity for vimentin, nearly all tumour cells were positive for CD68, S-100 protein, pan-cytokeratin, alpha-smooth muscle actin, and desmin. Benign fibrous histiocytoma of the prepuce in mu...
Risk of fatal distal limb fractures among Thoroughbreds involved in the five types of racing in the United Kingdom. The risk of fatal distal limb fractures in thoroughbreds racing in the UK was calculated and shown to vary considerably between the different types of race. Flat turf racing was associated with the lowest risk (0.4 per 1000 starts) and national hunt flat racing was associated with the highest risk (2.2 per 1000 starts). The types of fracture were classified by detailed radiographic and postmortem examinations of all the cases recorded over two years, and the distribution of the different types of fracture in the five main types of racing was examined. Overall, lateral condylar fractures of the...
[Idiopathic gastric rupture in a Friesian foal]. Acute idiopathic gastric rupture resulted in sudden death of a 4.5-months-old healthy Friesian foal. No morphological lesions were present which could explain the preceding gastric impaction. In this case hypodypsia may have been (partially) responsible for the impaction as only a mechanical drinking apparatus, unsuitably for horses, was available.
Radiotherapy of a recurrent ossifying fibroma in the paranasal sinuses of a horse. A 7-year-old female Thoroughbred was admitted with a history of labored breathing, stridor, and exercise intolerance. Examination revealed a mass in the left paranasal sinuses that was determined to be an ossifying fibroma. Initial treatment consisted of surgical removal of the mass alone; however, the mass recurred 9 months after surgery. The mass was again removed, and adjunctive radiotherapy consisting of 3,000 cGy of cobalt radiation was administered. This time, the tumor did not recur for > 6 years. A third surgery was performed to remove the mass, and adjunctive radiotherapy consisting o...
Allergen challenge alters lymphocyte phosphodiesterase activity in horses with heaves. Heaves is an allergic airway disease in horses characterised by reversible airway obstruction, bronchial hyperresponsiveness and airway inflammation associated with a Th(2) response. Cyclic nucleotide-dependent signalling pathways can regulate lymphocyte function. In this study, we examined lymphocyte PDE activity comparing horses with heaves to healthy control animals. Total PDE activity and the effects of isoenzyme selective inhibitors were measured before, 5 and 24 h after the start of a 7 h allergen challenge. Allergen challenge had no effect on either total cAMP PDE activity or its inhibi...
Equine beta-defensin-1: full-length cDNA sequence and tissue expression. beta-Defensins are cysteine-rich endogenously produced antimicrobial peptides that play an important role in innate immune defense. Although, previous investigations have identified beta-defensins in several mammalian species, no reports have identified equine beta-defensins. Using a strategy of database searching for expressed sequence tags (EST) we identified putative expression of equine beta-defensins in hepatic tissue. Based on this information, sequence specific primers were designed for the equine gene enabling the identification of the full-length cDNA sequence of equine beta-defensin-...
Evaluation of a larval development assay (DrenchRite) for the detection of anthelmintic resistance in cyathostomin nematodes of horses. A larval development assay (LDA, DrenchRite) was evaluated to determine the effectiveness of this method in detecting anthelmintic resistance in cyathostomin nematodes of horses. A total of 15 horse farms from Georgia and South Carolina (USA) and Population S ponies from the University of Kentucky (USA) were included in this study. Nematode eggs were extracted from pooled fecal samples and placed into the wells of a DrenchRite plate for testing against thiabendazole (TBZ), levamisole (LEV) and 2 ivermectin (IVM) analogs (IVM-1, IVM-2). After a 7-day incubation larvae in each well were counted ...
Periapical curettage: an alternative surgical approach to infected mandibular cheek teeth in horses. To evaluate an alternative surgical method for treating periapical infection of the mandibular cheek teeth of horses. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: Eleven horses (3-13 years) with periapical mandibular tooth infection. Methods: Hospital records (1992-2002) of horses that had periapical curettage for the treatment of mandibular cheek tooth root infection were retrieved. Clinical signs, radiographic, and surgical reports were reviewed. Outcome was obtained by telephone questionnaire for 7 horses and by physical examination in 2. Results: Eleven horses (14 infected mandibular molariform ...
Application of acute phase protein measurements in veterinary clinical chemistry. The body's early defence in response to trauma, inflammation or infection, the acute phase response, is a complex set of systemic reactions seen shortly after exposure to a triggering event. One of the many components is an acute phase protein response in which increased hepatic synthesis leads to increased serum concentration of positive acute phase proteins. The serum concentration of these acute phase proteins returns to base levels when the triggering factor is no longer present. This paper provides a review of the acute phase proteins haptoglobin, C-reactive protein and serum amyloid A an...
Immunophenotypic characterization and depletion of pulmonary intravascular macrophages of horses. Pulmonary intravascular macrophages (PIMs) are present in horses and are believed to increase their sensitivity to endotoxin-induced cardio-pulmonary shock. However, owing to a lack of a marker for PIMs and the inability to isolate them, their precise contributions in the horse remain unknown. We designed this study to identify an immuno-phenotypic marker for PIMs and to develop a protocol for their transient depletion with gadolinium chloride (GC). GC is a lanthanide that has been used to deplete liver and lung macrophages. The horses (N = 15) were divided into control (n = 5) and GC-treated ...
Generalised granulomatous disease in a horse. A 6-year-old gelding was referred with a 3-month history of recurrent fever, inappetance, lethargy and weight loss. On clinical examination major findings were depression, thin condition, thrombophlebitis, nodules on the scrotal skin, leukocytosis, hyperfibrinogenaemia and hyperglobulinaemia. Pleural fluid and areas of lung consolidation were seen on ultrasonographic examination of the thorax. A diagnosis of chronic respiratory disease was made. Initially there was a response to antibiotic therapy but the horse was presented 3 months later with continued weight loss, recurrent fever and multif...
Occurrence of gastrointestinal parasites in horses in metropolitan Perth, Western Australia. To assess the occurrence of gastrointestinal parasites in horses in Perth. To apply polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the identification of some species of encysted larval cyathostomes. Methods: Between February and September of 2000, the gastrointestinal tracts of 29 horses submitted to a local knackery and Murdoch University Veterinary hospital in Perth were examined post mortem for the presence of gastrointestinal parasites. Methods: The gastrointestinal tract was divided into six sections, which were screened for the presence of parasites such as Gasterophilus sp, Anoplocephala sp and Pa...
Equine catechol estrogen 4-hydroxyequilenin is a more potent inhibitor of the variant form of catechol-O-methyltransferase. Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) plays an important role in the inactivation of biologically active and toxic catechols. It has been shown that COMT is genetically polymorphic with a wild-type and variant form where a valine has been substituted with a methionine. Several, but not all, epidemiological studies have shown that women, homozygous with the variant form, have an increased risk of developing breast cancer. Previously, we showed that 4-hydroxyequilenin (4-OHEN), a cytotoxic/genotoxic equine catechol estrogen metabolite, is both a substrate of COMT and an irreversible inhibitor of t...
