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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.
Gastric ulceration in an equine neonate. A 24-hour-old colt presented with clinical signs consistent with gastric ulceration. Treatment was initiated with a histamine type-2 receptor antagonist and clinical signs resolved. Gastroscopy at 16 d confirmed the presence of a gastric ulcer. Although gastric ulceration is common in foals, it is rarely reported in foals this young.
Extranodal lymphoblastic lymphoma of suspected B-cell lineage in the gingiva of a racehorse, accompanied by mandibular osteolysis. A mass developed in the mandibular gingiva of a thoroughbred racehorse. When the horse could no longer eat unassisted, it was killed and immediately autopsied. Macroscopically, the mandible exhibited extensive osteolysis, with only a small amount of bone remaining around the tooth roots. The cut surface of the mass around the mandible consisted of neoplastic medullary tissue, in which osteogenesis was observed. The medullary tissue was composed of pleomorphic medium-sized to large cells, interlaced by collagen bundles. These cells had large, pale, round or ovoid, sometimes cleaved nuclei, with...
Investigations into the role of the thyrohyoid muscles in the pathogenesis of dorsal displacement of the soft palate in horses. Contributes to the understanding of the pathogenesis of dorsal displacement of the soft palate during exercise so that management of this condition could be enhanced. Objective: That the thyrohyoid muscles play an important role in the stability of the laryngo-palatal relationship and that dysfunction of these muscles leads to dorsal displacement of the soft palate (DDSP) during exercise. Methods: Ten horses were exercised on a high-speed treadmill under 4 different treatment conditions: control conditions (n = 10), after resection of thyrohyoid muscles (TH, n = 10), after sham-treatment (n = ...
The second generation of the International Equine Gene Mapping Workshop half-sibling linkage map. A low-density, male-based linkage map was constructed as one of the objectives of the International Equine Gene Mapping Workshop. Here we report the second generation map based on testing 503 half-sibling offspring from 13 sire families for 344 informative markers using the CRIMAP program. The multipoint linkage analysis localized 310 markers (90%) with 257 markers being linearly ordered. The map included 34 linkage groups representing all 31 autosomes and spanning 2262 cM with an average interval between loci of 10.1 cM. This map is a milestone in that it is the first map with linkage groups ...
Are the material properties and matrix composition of equine flexor and extensor tendons determined by their functions? Injury to the superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) is common in competition horses. The SDFT contributes to locomotory efficiency by storing energy; such tendons have low safety margins. Tendons which merely position the limb, including the opposing common digital extensor tendon (CDET), are rarely injured. The current failure of strategies to prevent or effectively treat injury to the SDFT indicates the importance of understanding how it differs from tendons which are not injury-prone. Objective: That the structural and material properties and matrix composition of the SDFT and CDET diffe...
Spectral analysis of respiratory noise in horses with upper airway disorders. It has long been recognised that the production of abnormal respiratory sounds by horses during exercise is frequently associated with upper airway obstructions. Respiratory acoustic measurements have shown promise in investigation of upper airway disorders in man and, more recently, in horses with experimentally-induced obstructions. Objective: To evaluate sounds from exercising horses with naturally occurring dynamic obstructions of the upper respiratory tract and to compare these with those from normal horses in order to determine whether different obstructions produce characteristic spectr...
Management of drug-resistant cyathostominosis on a breeding farm in central North Carolina. Possible anthelmintic resistance on a breeding farm where a rapid rotation anthelmintic programme had been implemented for 9 years was investigated. Cyathostomins resistant to fenbendazole and pyrantel were documented by faecal worm egg count reduction test (FWECRT). Objective: To 1) manage small strongyle transmission in a herd of horses in which resistance to both pyrantel pamoate and fenbendazole was identified and thereby reduce the risk of clinical disease in the individual animal, 2) monitor the change in resistance patterns over time and 3) monitor the efficacy of ivermectin over the st...
The sacroiliac joints: evaluation using nuclear scintigraphy. Part 2: Lame horses. Sacroiliac (SI) joint disease is difficult to diagnose definitively on clinical grounds. Objective: Lameness not attributable to SI joint pain may result in asymmetrical uptake of radiopharmaceutical in the tubera sacrale and SI joints; and that horses with clinical signs suggestive of sacroiliac joint disease would have differences in the ratios of radiopharmaceutical uptake between the fifth lumbar vertebra (L5) and either the tubera sacrale or SI joints compared with normal horses. Objective: To determine whether differences in radiopharmaceutical activity could identify individuals with pr...
Validation and clinical utility of a novel immunoradiometric assay exclusively for biologically active whole parathyroid hormone in the horse. Parathyroid hormone (PTH) plays a critical role in the regulation of mineral metabolism in mammals. Until recently, the standard method for PTH measurement has been the 2nd generation intact-PTH (I-PTH) assay. Current evidence indicates that the I-PTH assay binds to the PTH molecule and to an inactive N-terminally truncated PTH fragment that tends to accumulate in the blood of uraemic patients. Therefore, a new 3rd generation PTH assay that detects only the whole PTH molecule (W-PTH; cyclase-activating PTH [CAP]) has been developed. Objective: To validate this more specific W-PTH assay for mea...
Effects of propylthiouracil and bromocryptine on serum concentrations of thyrotrophin and thyroid hormones in normal female horses. There exists a need for better diagnostic tests to characterise thyroid disease in horses. Currently available diagnostic tests fail to differentiate between thyroid gland disorders and thyroid abnormalities resulting from pituitary or hypothalamic problems. Objective: To evaluate the effects of treatment with propylthiouracil (PTU) and bromocryptine (BROM) on serum concentrations of triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4), reverse T3 (rT3) and equine thyroid-stimulating hormone (e-TSH, thyrotrophin) in mature horses. Methods: Healthy mature horses were treated using either PTU or BROM for 28 da...
Tenosynovitis of the digital flexor tendon sheath and annular ligament constriction syndrome caused by longitudinal tears in the deep digital flexor tendon: a clinical and surgical report of 17 cases in warmblood horses. Inflammation of the digital flexor tendon sheaths is a chronic and nebulous condition often unresponsive to medical and surgical treatment. Objective: To evaluate the incidence of longitudinal tears (LT) as the underlying cause of chronic tenosynovitis and annular ligament constriction syndrome (ALCS) in warmblood horses. Methods: The records of 25 horses with chronic tenosynovitis and ALCS in which tenoscopical inspection of the digital flexor tendon sheath (DFTS) was performed between 1999-2000 were reviewed. Of 25 horses, 17 were diagnosed with an LT in the deep digital flexor tendon (DDFT)...
The sacroiliac joints: evaluation using nuclear scintigraphy. Part 1: The normal horse. Sacroiliac (SI) disease is recognised as a cause of poor hindlimb action but differential diagnosis is often difficult. Objective: That in clinically normal horses there would be a significant difference in the ratio of radiopharmaceutical uptake (RU) between the fifth lumbar vertebra (L5) and each tuber sacrale (TS) and between L5 and each SI joint; and that these ratios would alter with age, but ratios would be bilaterally symmetrical. Methods: Dorsal scintigraphic images of the SI region of 15 horses, selected randomly from the clinic database, were analysed by 2 of the authors, comparing n...
Coughing, mucus accumulation, airway obstruction, and airway inflammation in control horses and horses affected with recurrent airway obstruction. To investigate relationships between cough frequency and mucus accumulation, airway obstruction, and airway inflammation and to determine effects of dexamethasone on coughing and mucus score. Methods: 13 horses with recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) and 6 control horses. Methods: 6 RAO-affected and 6 control horses were stabled for 3 days. Coughing was counted for 4 hours before and on each day horses were stabled. Before and on day 3 of stabling, tracheal mucus accumulation was scored, airway obstruction was assessed via maximal change in pleural pressure (deltaPpl(max)), and airway inflamma...
Idiopathic mucosal lesions of the arytenoid cartilages of 21 Thoroughbred yearlings: 1997-2001. Mucosal ulcers and, occasionally, small granulomas on the axial surface of one or both arytenoid cartilages have been found in TB yearlings presented for post sale endoscopic examination. Objective: To determine the incidence, endoscopic characteristics and outcome of a group of Thoroughbred yearlings affected with mucosal ulcers and granulomas of the arytenoid cartilage. Objective: The incidence of mucosal ulceration of the arytenoid cartilages of yearling Thoroughbreds is relatively high compared to other upper airway abnormalities; and that the majority of mucosal ulcers heal uneventfully, ...
Mucin genes in horse airways: MUC5AC, but not MUC2, may play a role in recurrent airway obstruction. Increased mucin gene expression may be an important cause of mucus accumulation observed in recurrent airway obstruction (RAO)-affected horses. To date, however, no mucin gene sequences are available for the horse. Objective: To identify equine homologues of gel-forming mucins and investigate their expression at different airway generations of healthy and RAO-affected horses. Methods: Two equine homologues were identified by cloning and sequencing fragments of equine (eq)MUC5AC and eqMUC2. Results: Semiquantitative RT-PCR on RNA from airways (generations 1, 5, 10, 15; small airways and parench...
Corneal esthesiometry in the healthy horse. To determine corneal sensitivity in healthy adult horses in order to establish reference values. Methods: One hundred eyes of 50 healthy adult horses. Methods: Corneal sensitivity was determined by evaluating the corneal touch threshold (CTT) in five different corneal regions using a Cochet-Bonnet esthesiometer. Results: Comparing CTT values (in mm filament length) of the five prescribed corneal regions revealed regional variations in corneal sensitivity, with the central region (21.15 +/- 6.23 mm) being the most sensitive, followed by the nasal (20.75 +/- 5.14 mm), temporal (20.70 +/- 5.37 mm...
Inhaled endotoxin and organic dust particulates have synergistic proinflammatory effects in equine heaves (organic dust-induced asthma). Equine heaves is a naturally occurring organic dust-induced asthma characterized by airway neutrophilia, mucus hypersecretion and obstructive lung dysfunction. However, the relative role of different dust components in disease severity remains unclear. Objective: This study investigated the relative contribution of inhaled endotoxin and organic dust particulates (mainly mould spores) in inducing heaves in heaves-susceptible horses. Methods: Control and heaves-susceptible horses received inhalation challenges with hay dust suspension (HDS) before and after lipopolysaccharide (LPS) depletion. He...
Keratitis due to Histoplasma spp. in a horse. A 5-year-old Holsteiner gelding from Germany was presented 2 months after a whitish discoloration of the left cornea was observed. Cytologic examination revealed intra- and extracellular globular structures, up to 4 micro m in size, consisting of a central spherical deeply basophilic body surrounded by an unstained halo. The structures were morphologically consistent with Histoplasma spp. Infection with Histoplasma organisms is not endemic in Europe. Topical use of fluconazole was successful in eliminating Histoplasma organisms within 10 days of initiation of treatment.
The effect of three types of rasps on the occlusal surface of equine cheek teeth: a scanning electron microscopic study. Two hand rasps (tungsten chip blade, solid carbide blade) and an electrically-driven solid carbide axial bur were used to treat the cheek teeth of 2 horses immediately postmortem. All teeth were normal and were rasped to a standard considered satisfactory in practice. Six teeth from each horse served as untreated controls. Following treatment, the teeth were extracted and the clinical crown removed and prepared for scanning electron microscopy. Teeth were also extracted and examined from a horse that had excessive dental treatment previously. Dental debris created by the procedures was collect...
Lower airway diseases of the adult horse. Lower airway problems of the adult horse are commonly encountered by the practitioner. Particularly susceptible populations include horses transported for any significant distance and young horses grouped together for training and/or competition. This article presents some of the commonly encountered problems of this patient population, including bacterial pneumonia/pleuropneumonia and influenza, and some uncommon ones, including pulmonary edema, pneumothorax/hemothorax, and acuterespiratory distress syndrome. Information is presented that should allow the practitioner to diagnose these proble...
Exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage. EIPH is a condition affecting virtually all horses during intense exercise worldwide. The hemorrhage originates from the pulmonary vasculature and is distributed predominantly bilaterally in the dorsocaudal lung lobes. As the condition progresses, the lung abnormalities extend cranially along the dorsal portions of the lung. An inflammatory response occurs in association with the hemorrhage and may contribute to the chronic sequela. Although conflicting opinions exist as to its affect on performance, it is a syndrome that is thought to increase in severity with age. The most commonly performed...
Diseases of the guttural pouches. Guttural pouches are unique anatomic structures in Equidae. Conditions affecting the guttural pouches present with clinical signs that are not observed in other domestic species, and treatment of some of these conditions can be challenging. This article describes the anatomy and examination of the guttural pouches and reviews the presenting signs and treatment of the more common conditions affecting them, including empyema, tympany, mycosis, and stylohyoid arthropathy.
Tools for the diagnosis of equine respiratory disorders. Respiratory disorders are among the most common problems leading horse owners to seek veterinary attention. Accurate diagnosis of these conditions allows for proper treatment to be instituted, much to the benefit of the patient and satisfaction of the client. As an introduction to this issue on equine respiratory disorders, we review some of the tools that are available to equine veterinarians for the diagnosis of respiratory disorders. Physical and endoscopic examination, radiology, diagnostic ultrasound, techniques for sampling the respiratory tract, hematology, blood gas analysis, respirato...
Pneumonia in weanlings. Lower respiratory tract infection is common in weanling- and suckling-aged animals. Increased susceptibility to disease in this age group can result from a delay in the establishment of a competent immune system and environmental factors, such as overcrowding, shipping, and sales. S zooepidemicus and R equi are the two most common bacterial isolates. S equi is primarily a disease of the lymph nodes and upper respiratory tract. Viral agents can compromise the natural defense mechanisms of the respiratory tract, resulting in secondary bacterial infections. The acute respiratory distress syndrome...
Disorders of the pharynx. Pharyngeal disorders are complex and difficult to treat. Disorders that lead to anatomic derangement, such as trauma and neoplasia, can significantly affect the function of this organ. Pharyngeal dysfunction can manifest as dysphagia, persistent palatal displacement, or exercise intolerance. Secondary complications are serious and life threatening and include aspiration pneumonia, weight loss, and death. Pharyngeal disorders that are only recognizable during strenuous exercise are difficult to diagnose and are treated with limited success, even though they are responsible for significant econo...
Lower respiratory problems of the neonate. The newborn foal can experience problems of the lower respiratory tract that are unique to the neonate. The transition to extrauterine life usually occurs rapidly and in a coordinated manner, but problems associated with the peripartum period, including placentitis, dystocia, infection, and trauma, can result in conditions that compromise gas exchange in the newborn foal. This article reviews the normal transition and presents some of the problems seen in these small patients.
Diagnosis of upper respiratory tract diseases in the performance horse. Wastage of performance horses because of respiratory dysfunction is common. Appropriate identification of the disease is paramount for treatment recommendations. Diagnostic modalities for upper respiratory tract dysfunction include a thorough physical examination, radiographic evaluation when appropriate, and upper respiratory tract endoscopy. Anatomical deviations or structural are easily identified during resting evaluation, while exercise testing is often necessary to assess thedynamic properties of the upper airway. Utilizing the many diagnostic tools available allows the clinician to make...
