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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.
Performance of five serological assays for diagnosis of Rhodococcus equi pneumonia in foals. The performance of four enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) (ELISA-6939, ELISA-33701, ELISA-VapA, and ELISA-California) and an agar gel immunodiffusion test for diagnosis of Rhodococcus equi pneumonia in foals was evaluated. Antibody concentrations of foals with culture-confirmed R. equi pneumonia (n = 41) were compared to those of age-matched pasturemates that remained clinically healthy during the entire breeding season (n = 24). For each serological assay evaluated, selection of a low cutoff resulted in high sensitivity but low specificity. Increasing the cutoff value resulted in be...
Percutaneous puncture technique for treating persistent retropharyngeal lymph node infections in seven horses. Between 1999 and 2001, seven horses with fever, dysphagia and a history of chronic upper respiratory tract infection lasting between three weeks and three months were examined. They had been treated unsuccessfully with a variety of antibiotics for three to four weeks. A deep abscess in a retropharyngeal lymph node was diagnosed in each case by clinical examination, endoscopy and echographic examination of the retropharyngeal region. The infected retropharyngeal lymph node of each horse was punctured with a spinal needle under ultrasound guidance. Pus was aspirated from four of the horses, and ...
High-level expression and purification of a truncated merozoite antigen-2 of Babesia equi in Escherichia coli and its potential for immunodiagnosis. The gene encoding a truncated merozoite antigen-2 (EMA-2t) of Babesia equi was cloned and highly expressed in Escherichia coli as a glutathione S-transferase fusion protein (G-rEMA-2t). Both G-rEMA-2t and rEMA-2t (after the removal of glutathione S-transferase) had good antigenicity. Either Western blot analysis with rEMA-2t or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with G-rEMA-2t clearly discriminated the sera of horses experimentally infected with B. equi from sera of horses infected with Babesia caballi and healthy horses, although rEMA-2t was not suitable for ELISA, probably owing to it...
Alkaline phosphatase in stallion semen: characterization and clinical applications. Significant amounts of alkaline phosphatase (AP) activity have been found in semen plasma from numerous species. In species in which the majority of semen plasma AP (SPAP) activity originates from the epididymis and testicle, SPAP activity can be used clinically as a marker to differentiate testicular origin azoospermia or oligospermia from ejaculatory failure. Information on SPAP activity in stallions to date has been limited. In this study, a standard clinical chemistry analyzer was used to determine AP activity in pre-ejaculatory fluid and ejaculates from groups of normal stallions. Additio...
Protein-losing enteropathy caused by Lawsonia intracellularis in a weanling foal. A 5-month-old Morgan filly was presented to the Atlantic Veterinary College with a history of lethargy, fever, depression, anorexia, and dependent ventral edema. Diagnostic tests revealed severe inflammation, hypoproteinemia, and thickened small intestinal loops. Protein-losing enteropathy caused by Lawsonia intracellularis was diagnosed and treated successfully with erythromycin-rifampin.
Effect of perineural anesthesia on the ultrasonographic appearance of equine palmar metacarpal structures. The purpose of this study was to describe ultrasonographic changes of the equine palmar metacarpal area attributed to the infiltration of local anesthetic solution and to determine whether these changes were noted immediately or at 24 h. The palmar metacarpal region of one forelimb in each of six horses was examined ultrasonographically with a 10-MHz linear array transducer and a 7.5-MHz curvilinear transducer. Transverse and longitudinal images were recorded at 5-cm intervals distal to the accessory carpal bone. High and low palmar and palmar metacarpal nerve blocks were performed with a 2% m...
UV measurements in microplates suitable for high-throughput protein determination. An UV spectrophotometric method for protein determination using microplates is described. Using the SPECTRAmax PLUS reader, the UVStar 96- and 384-well microplates and a 96 or 384 parallel channel liquid handling technique, large-scale determinations can be performed with intraassay precision better than 3% CV (coefficient of variation) in the range from 1 to 8000 microg of protein/ml, measuring at 205, 215, and 280 nm and using different volume-dependent light-path lengths. Since the absorbance coefficient at 205 nm is found to be 30 ml/(mgxcm) for eight different proteins with a CV of 5.6% o...
[Rayer’s studies on the contagion of glanders (1837-1843)]. P. Rayer (1795-1867) had never thoroughly published his experimental studies on the contagion of glanders. His recently un-earthed hand written papers allow us to depict his experimental approach and its results. He was not the first who transmitted glanders from a patient to horses or donkeys. But he did it systematically with glander secretions from acute and chronic cases. Whatever was the disease of the donors the transmitted forms were unpredictably either chronic or acute. His conclusion was that the two forms were two symptomatic aspects of a unique disease. Clinically dormant states we...
Hysteresis and calcium set-point for the calcium parathyroid hormone relationship in healthy horses. Abnormalities in calcium (Ca(2+)) homeostasis are reported in horses with several pathological conditions; however, there is little information on Ca(2+) regulation in horses. The objectives of the present study were to determine the Ca(2+) set-point in healthy horses, to determine whether the Ca(2+)/parathyroid hormone (PTH) response curves were characterized by hysteresis, and to determine if the order of experimentally induced hypocalcemia or hypercalcemia had an effect on PTH secretion. The Ca(2+) set-point and hysteresis were determined in 12 healthy horses by infusing Na(2)EDTA and calci...
Epidemiologic study of results of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis of isolates of Rhodococcus equi obtained from horses and horse farms. To compare isolates of Rhodococcus equi on the basis of geographic source and virulence status by use of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Methods: 290 isolates of R equi (218 virulent isolates from foals and 72 avirulent isolates from feces, soil, and respiratory tract samples) obtained between 1985 and 2000 from horses and horse farms from 4 countries. Methods: DNA from isolates was digested with the restriction enzyme Asel and tested by use of PFGE. Products were analyzed for similarities in banding patterns by use of dendrograms. A similarity matrix was constructed for isolates, and...
Determination of ‘irritant’ threshold concentrations for intradermal testing with allergenic insect extracts in normal horses. Sixteen healthy horses with no history of skin or respiratory disease were used for an intradermal testing (IDT) threshold study, in order to determine the concentrations of 13 commercial allergenic insect extracts most appropriate for IDT. Five dilutions of each extract were used, which included the manufacturer's recommended concentrations for equine IDT, plus one dilution higher and three lower than these standard concentrations. Allergens tested included caddisfly (Trichoptera spp.), mayfly (Ephemeroptera spp.), horsefly (Tabanus spp.), deerfly (Chrysops spp.), fire ant (Solenopsis invicta...
Equine amplification and virulence of subtype IE Venezuelan equine encephalitis viruses isolated during the 1993 and 1996 Mexican epizootics. To assess the role of horses as amplification hosts during the 1993 and 1996 Mexican Venezuelan equine encephalitis (VEE) epizootics, we subcutaneously infected 10 horses by using four different equine isolates. Most horses showed little or no disease and low or nonexistent viremia. Neurologic disease developed in only 1 horse, and brain histopathologic examination showed meningeal lymphocytic infiltration, perivascular cuffing, and focal encephalitis. Three animals showed mild meningoencephalitis without clinical disease. Viral RNA was detected in the brain of several animals 12-14 days after...
Evaluation of equine breeding farm characteristics as risk factors for development of Rhodococcus equi pneumonia in foals. To identify farm characteristics as risk factors for the development of Rhodococcus equi pneumonia in foals. Methods: Prospective matched case-control study. Methods: 2,764 foals on 64 equine breeding farms with 9,991 horses. Methods: During 1997, participating veterinarians completed paired data collection forms, 1 for a farm with > or = 1 foal with R equi pneumonia and 1 for an unaffected control farm. Matched data were compared by use of conditional logistic regression analysis. Results: Farm characteristics found in bivariate analyses to be associated with increased risk for pneumonia c...
Malignant Sertoli cell tumor in the retained abdominal testis of a unilaterally cryptorchid horse. A 13-year-old Morgan gelding was evaluated because of a mass in the caudal region of the abdomen. The horse had been presumed to be a gelding, but necropsy findings revealed a retained testis in the right retroperitoneal space. Histologically, the retained testis contained neoplastic cells; metastases were identified in the liver, spleen, lungs, and sublumbar lymph nodes. Immunohistochemical examination of the testis and metastatic tissues confirmed the diagnosis of malignant Sertoli cell tumor. Testicular neoplasms are infrequently reported in stallions. Seminomas are most commonly reported, ...
Identification and quantification of amines in the equine caecum. Acute laminitis has been associated with the release of compounds, as yet unidentified, produced by hindgut fermentation which affect blood flow to the digit. The objectives of this study were to identify amine compounds in equine caecal and colonic contents, some of which are known to have vasoactive properties. In addition, the concentrations of amines in caecal contents of horses fed either grass or hay diets were compared. Fifteen amines were identified in equine hindgut contents in concentrations greater than 1 microM. The caecal concentrations of phenylethylamine, isoamylamine, cadaverin...
Standardisation and comparison of serial dilution and single dilution enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using different antigenic preparations of the Babesia (Theileria) equi parasite. Serial dilution and single dilution enzyme linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) were standardised and their sensitivity and specificity were compared for serodiagnosis of Babesia equi infection. The antibody titres of 24 donkey sera of known identity were determined separately by serial dilution ELISA using three different B. equi antigens namely whole merozoite (WM), cell membrane (CM) and high speed supernatant (HSS). The ratios of the optical density (OD) of known positive and known negative sera at different serum dilutions were calculated and termed as the positive/negative (P/N) ratio. Th...
Advances in equine immunology: Havemeyer workshop reports from Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Hortobagy, Hungary. The horse has been human kind's most important partner throughout history. Similarly, in the field of immunology, many critical scientific advances have depended on the horse. Equine immunology today is an active and important field of study, with a focus on control of many common infectious diseases and immunopathologic conditions of broad comparative interest. In 2001 two major equine immunology workshops were held, in Santa Fe, USA, and in Hortobagy, Hungary, with major sponsorship from the Havemeyer Foundation. This report summarizes the scientific themes and foci of those meetings.
Dermal malignant melanoma in a horse with multifocal pancytokeratin expression. The current report describes a malignant melanoma in the dermis of a 13-year-old bay Thoroughbred mare. Microscopic examination revealed that tumor cells were arranged in cords and packets within an abundant collagenous stroma containing scattered myxomatous foci. Tumor cells stained positively for S-100, neuron-specific enolase, and vimentin and some contained melanin granules. Some clusters of tumor cells were also positive for pancytokeratin. Expression of epithelial cell markers has been described in small numbers of human melanomas but has not been reported previously in equine melanomas....
Malignant granulosa-theca cell tumor in a two-year-old Miniature Horse. A 2-year-old female Miniature Horse that presented with a history of progressive weight loss, depression, and diarrhea was diagnosed at necropsy with a highly malignant abdominal neoplasm involving the left ovary, kidneys, adrenal glands, intestines, and various abdominal and thoracic lymph nodes. Microscopic examination of these masses revealed large pleomorphic cells that stained positive for vimentin and inhibin and negative for epithelial membrane antigen and placental alkaline phosphatase. Ultrastructural examination of the cells revealed a high nucleocytoplasmic ratio and indented euchro...
Structure of the community of the Strongylidae nematodes in the dorsal colon of Equus caballus from Rio de Janeiro state–Brazil. The structure of the community of Strongylidae nematodes in the dorsal colon of naturally infected horses from the metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro State was evaluated in 33 samples. Twenty-three species were found: Cylicostephanus longibursatus, Cylicostephanus goldi, Cylicocyclus nassatus and Cyathostomum tetracanthum were the central ones; Cylicostephanus minutus, Cylicostephanus calicatus, Cylicocyclus leptostomus, Cylicodontophorus bicoronatus and Parapoteriostomum euproctus were secondary, and there were 14 satellite species. The community was considered stable, with positive associ...
Encephalitozoon cuniculi placentitis and abortion in a quarterhorse mare. Encephalitozoon cuniculi is a microsporidial parasite, which has rarely been reported to cause placentitis in animals. A late-term aborted fetus and placenta from a Quarterhorse were presented to the Livestock Disease Diagnostic Center, University of Kentucky, for diagnostic examination. There was a necrotizing placentitis, with distension of many chorionic epithelial cells by intracytoplasmic vacuoles containing 1-2-microm-diameter, elongated, gram-positive organisms. The organisms were identified as E. cuniculi by electron microscopy and by polymerase chain reaction using primers to microspo...
Value of histopathology in vitiligo. Histopathologic studies of vitiligo have been rather limited in number, thus the microscopic features of this common disorder are not very well known. Methods: Skin specimens from 20 human vitiligo patients and skin specimens from five equine vitiligo patients were studied by light and transmission electron microscopy. Conclusions: Absence of melanocytes, increased number of Langerhans' cells, epidermal vacuolization, thickening of the basement membrane, T-cell inflammatory infiltrate, and neural alterations were noted in the vitiligo lesions. These results may explain the development of depig...
Hemolytic activity of Prevotella intermedia and Prevotella nigrescens strains: influence of abiotic factors in solid and liquid assays. The influence of growth medium, hemin and menadione, blood source and atmosphere of incubation on the expression of hemolytic activity of 25 strains of Prevotella intermedia and Prevotella nigrescens was evaluated. The best hemolytic activity was observed for samples of both species growing in brain heart infusion agar and incubated in Brewer-like anaerobic jars for 48 h. Hemolysis was less intense and occurred later in the presence of hemin and menadione in solid media. beta-Hemolysis was detected for medium supplemented with horse or human blood and alpha-hemolysis was observed when sheep bl...
Four cases of equine polysaccharide storage myopathy in the United Kingdom. This paper describes four cases of equine polysaccharide storage myopathy which were confirmed by histological examination of muscle biopsy specimens. The horses were of mixed breeding, with warmblood and thoroughbred dominating. They all had recurrent episodes of rhabdomyolysis, indicated by clinical signs and increased plasma levels of muscle enzymes. They were managed conservatively and have continued athletic careers despite their disease.
