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.
Immunological insights into the occurrence of Lawsonia intracellularis in horses from southern Brazil using flow cytometry. Lawsonia intracellularis is an obligatory intracellular bacterium associated with equine proliferative enteropathy (EPE), which significantly impacts equine health. Despite its clinical relevance, epidemiological and diagnostic approaches for this infection in horses have remained underexplored. This study aimed to evaluate the humoral immune response in horses immunized with an experimental vaccine for L. intracellularis and to determine the occurrence of anti-L. intracellularis antibodies in horses from southern Brazil using the flow cytometry antibody test (FCAT). Unassigned: A total of 12 ...
Papillary Renal Cell Carcinoma With Widespread Metastases in an Arabian Mare. This report describes a case of massive renal cell carcinoma (RCC) causing mild chronic colic in a 20-day-postpartum Arabian mare. The mare presented with deteriorating abdominal pain following normal parturition. Clinical examination revealed tachycardia, tachypnoea, weak intestinal motility and pale mucosal membranes. Rectal examination identified a very large mass in the caudal part of the abdominal cavity, and abdominal ultrasound examination revealed a huge space-occupying mass with renal architecture. During midline exploratory laparotomy, a massive tumour was observed in the anatomical ...
Misidentification of Raoultella spp. (R. terrigena, R. planticola) and Klebsiella spp. (K. variicola, K. grimontii) as Klebsiella pneumoniae: Retrospective study of a necropsy-associated bacterial collection from horses. Misidentifications as Klebsiella pneumoniae were observed during a French retrospective study of a necropsy-associated K. pneumoniae bacterial collection from horses. Accordingly, the present study aimed to further characterise the 12 Raoultella spp. and Klebsiella spp. strains involved in these misidentifications. The strains were identified and characterised using the Api 20E system, K. pneumoniae PCR detection, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight mass spectroscopy and whole-genome sequencing. Antimicrobial susceptibilities were tested by the disc diffusion method with...
Description of a Modified Two-Step Omphalectomy Technique Using the LigaSure™ Device to Remove the Whole Extrahepatic Umbilical Vein: A Case Series Study in Equine and Donkey Foals. Umbilical disorders are common in equids, although scarce information is available in donkeys compared to horses. Foals with these disturbances have high morbidity and mortality rates. The conventional omphalectomy technique does not remove the whole umbilical vein, which can lead to infection in the remnant vein or even liver abscess. At the moment, if the whole umbilical vein needs to be removed, a longer ventral midline incision must be performed, which is linked with several complications. This retrospective case series study focused on a modified two-step omphalectomy using the LigaSureTM...
Collecting equine whole blood in glass tubes does not decrease adrenocorticotropic hormone concentration compared to plastic tubes. Pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction is diagnosed using immunoreactive ACTH concentrations. Glass reportedly binds ACTH, but the clinical relevance of using glass blood tubes for measuring equine ACTH concentrations is controversial. This study investigates whether the collection of whole blood into glass EDTA tubes and storage for up to 6 hours changes ACTH concentrations compared to plastic EDTA tubes. Unassigned: This was a cohort study. Whole blood was collected into both glass and plastic EDTA tubes from 9 horses > 12 years of age, including 4 with pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction a...
Cutaneous non-tuberculous Mycobacterium ulcerans infection: A serious cause for concern. Mycobacterium ulcerans infection in horses is under-reported. Objective: To document the successful multimodal treatment of M. ulcerans and highlight the need for further investigation due to the zoonotic nature of M. ulcerans with its related potential public health concerns. Methods: Case report CASE DESCRIPTION: A 14-year-old gelding in the Southeastern region of Australia was diagnosed with M. ulcerans infection, initially presenting as a non-healing wound of the right flank progressing to extensive necrotic ulceration. Ziehl-Neelsen and Wade-Fite stained incisional biopsies revealed large...
A comparative evaluation of seven commercial human influenza virus antigen detection kits for the diagnosis of equine influenza. Equine influenza virus (EIV) is one of the most important pathogens causing respiratory signs in equids. Rapid antigen detection (RAD) kits are useful for point-of-care testing because they are user-friendly and provide fast results. Although sensitive and broad-reactive RAD kits are needed for controlling horse movement, no RAD kits specified for EIV are available. Objective: This study evaluated the usefulness of seven RAD kits originally developed for human influenza and available in Japan during 2023-2024 for EIV antigen detection. Methods: Experimental assay comparison. Methods: The detec...
Treatment of Iris Hypoplasia Using Semiconductor Diode Laser in the Horse Under Standing Sedation. This study is aimed at describing two unique case presentations of iris hypoplasia and the use of semiconductor diode laser for treatment in the horse. One 20-year-old American Quarter Horse gelding and one 11-year-old pony mare were studied. The presenting clinical signs, surgical technique, and postoperative results for two cases of iris hypoplasia treated with diode laser are described. Immediate postoperative complications-postoperative ocular hypertension (POH), corneal edema, and epithelial bullae-were possible anticipated effects but were controlled with topical medications in the fi...
The “misbehaving” performance horse: is it ever behavioral? Long before the concept of social license to operate came to the forefront of equestrian sports, veterinarians have always had a responsibility to advocate for the welfare of the horse. For performance horses this often means helping to ensure that the horse is performing positively and comfortably for its intended use. A horse that is struggling to perform at an optimal level may be doing so for a multitude of reasons, but regardless of the underlying cause, it often presents as any number of behavioral issues. This review explores various underlying physical causes of behavioral issues in pe...
Equine tapeworm infections in Italy: A nationwide coprological survey. Grazing horses are exposed to various intestinal helminths, with tapeworms being of major concern due to their potential pathogenicity. Few regional data are available in Italy on tapeworm infections in horses; therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of Anoplocephala spp. eggs over a nine-year period (2014-2023) in 12,056 faecal samples from horses living in all 18 continental Italian regions. Coprological examinations were performed using the Proudman and Edwards (1992) method using Sheather's sugar solution as the floatation medium. An overall prevalence of 3.7 % ...
Association Between Adrenocorticotropic Hormone Concentration and Clinical Signs of Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction in Swiss and Austrian Equids. There remains a scarcity of data concerning the relationship between the clinical signs associated with PPID and plasma ACTH concentrations. Objective: Report the frequency of clinical signs in the study cohort and identify individual clinical signs or combinations of clinical signs associated with high ACTH concentrations. Methods: Two hundred eighty equids were examined by private veterinarians. Methods: A cross-sectional study of animals with clinical suspicion of PPID was conducted between August and November. Private practitioners completed an online questionnaire reporting detailed infor...
Preoperative computed tomography imaging for accurate diagnosis and surgical planning in equine cranial disorders: two case reports of congenital malformations. Computed tomography (CT) offers high-resolution, three-dimensional imaging, making it particularly valuable for assessing complex structures, such as the head, especially when conventional radiography and endoscopy are insufficient for a definitive diagnosis. Herein, we present two cases of equine cranial disorders resulting from congenital malformations. In case 1, which had a dentigerous cyst, CT images confirmed the location of the ectopic tooth within the skull and a detailed fistula tube. In case 2, which had temporohyoid osteoarthropathy, CT examination revealed that the stylohyoid bone ...
How facial expressions reveal acute pain in domestic animals with facial pain scales as a diagnostic tool. The growing interest in managing and recognizing pain in animals has led to the search for more sensitive methods to evaluate it, especially because some species conceal any visible changes associated with pain or are not easily assessed. Research has shown that an animal's facial expression changes when exposed to painful stimuli. Thus, developing several pain scales (grimace scales) in species such as horses, cattle, pigs, sheep, donkeys, rabbits, rats, mice, and cats has helped to improve the study of pain in veterinary medicine. The possibility of using facial expression as an indicator of...
Diagnosis and treatment of a congenital cervical tracheal diverticulum in an Arabian foal. Tracheal congenital defects are infrequent but serious findings in animals. Tracheal diverticula are congenital air-filled cystic lesions, a sub-type of paratracheal air cyst mainly found extra-thoracically in foals. We describe a case in a twelve-day old show Arabian colt with right sided unilateral cervical swelling since birth. Percutaneous ultrasound revealed a heterogeneously air- and fluid-filled spheroid mass, and upper airway endoscopy confirmed luminal communication to the trachea. Contrasted computed tomography showed a narrow isthmus originating between two proximal tracheal rings a...
Genetic testing as a tool for diagnosis of congenital stationary night blindness (CSNB) in white spotted breeds in Poland. Congenital stationary night blindness (CSNB) has been connected to the leopard complex spotting phenotype (LP) in various horse breeds. CSNB associated with LP is thought to be caused by a 1378 bp insertion in TRPM1, with homozygotes being nightblind and having few to no spots of pigment in their white patterned area. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of CSNB alleles in tarant-colored horses in Poland through a three-primer system for an allele-specific Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). The TRPM1 gene insertion was genotyped in 221 horses belonging to Małopolska, Felin and Shetland Pon...
Investigation of the occurrence of low thyroxine concentrations and response to thyrotropin-releasing hormone using equine and canine assays in a population of Standardbred racehorses in Prince Edward Island, Canada. Decreased total T4 (tT4) concentrations are frequently observed in racing Standardbred horses lacking clinical evidence of hypothyroidism. This poses a diagnostic challenge as primary hypothyroidism is reported to be rare in adult horses. Despite this, owners frequently wish to administer thyroid supplementation to horses having low tT4 concentrations. Forty racing Standardbred horses were sampled. Baseline tT4 concentrations were determined using human-based (equine) and canine-based chemiluminescent assays. Dynamic evaluation of tT4 was performed using a thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) s...
Metabolomic and proteomic stratification of equine osteoarthritis. Equine osteoarthritis (OA) is predominantly diagnosed through clinical examination and radiography, leading to detection only after significant joint pathology. The pathogenesis of OA remains unclear and while many medications modify the disease's inflammatory components, no curative or reversal treatments exist. Identifying differentially abundant metabolites and proteins correlated with osteoarthritis severity could improve early diagnosis, track disease progression, and evaluate responses to interventions. Objective: To identify molecular markers of osteoarthritis severity based on histolog...
Periocular basal cell carcinoma in a donkey: case report. In horses, basal cell neoplasms are uncommon benign tumors with slow growth mostly reported in the skin and eyelid. Malignant presentation is even more uncommon. This report describes a basal cell carcinoma (BCC) in the periocular region of a 10-year-old donkey. The animal presented good body condition and a neoformation in the right eye, noted 3 months prior to hospital admission. At the ophthalmological examination, the mass was identified above and adhered to the cornea, measuring 3.0 × 2.5 × 1.5 cm. Cytology revealed a suspicion of a malignant epithelial neoplasm, characterized ...
Cerebellar abiotrophy in a quarter horse foal. Cerebellar abiotrophy is a neurodegenerative disease that affects the Purkinje cells of the cerebellum, resulting in premature neuronal death. In horses, its occurrence has been reported mainly in the Arabian breed as a congenital mutation inherited in an autosomal recessive manner. The objective of this study was to describe the case of cerebellar abiotrophy in a Quarter Horse foal. An 8-day-old foal was treated after presenting signs of ataxia, hypermetria, difficulty maintaining a standing position, and decreased menace response. The foal was hospitalized for 26 days, received treatment wit...
Ovarian hemorrhage as the primary cause of hemoperitoneum in cycling and pregnant Miniature Horse mares. To determine whether Miniature Horse mares are predisposed to hemoperitoneum from nonneoplastic ovarian hemorrhage and report the clinical characteristics of this disorder. Methods: 51 equines with hemoperitoneum, including 22 nonminiature mares and 9 Miniature Horse mares, identified by searching medical records of a tertiary large animal hospital for confirmed hemoperitoneum cases between 2012 and 2023. Methods: Signs of hemoperitoneum in miniature mares included lethargy, inappetence, colic, tachycardia, and moderate to severe anemia (PCV ranging from 11% to 19%). Five miniature mares did n...
Congenital myofibroblastic fibrosarcoma of the temporal bone in a newborn Arabian foal. Myofibroblastic fibrosarcoma (MFS) is a malignant soft tissue tumour that is rare in domestic animals. Here we report a case of congenital MFS in an Arabian foal at birth. A large solitary subcutaneous mass arising in the left temporal region was found in the foal. On cut section, an unencapsulated hemispheric, white-yellowish, elastic fibrous mass was attached to the temporal bone. Histologically, the mass was composed of a neoplastic proliferation of spindle-shaped fibroblasts arranged in fasciculate or interwoven streams and bundles, with low nuclear atypia and mitotic rate, local invasion ...
Time but not storage of equine plasma in silicate-coated tubes affects adrenocorticotropic hormone stability. Pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) is diagnosed by measuring the ACTH concentrations. Due to the reported instability of ACTH, it is recommended to transfer centrifuged plasma into cryovials; however, in practice, cryovials are infrequently used, and serum (red-top) tubes are used instead. This study investigated whether this procedure affects ACTH concentrations and the diagnosis of PPID. Unassigned: This was a cohort study. Blood was collected into EDTA tubes from 9 horses with PPID and 7 controls. After centrifugation, plasma was either aliquoted into a cryovial or into a serum tu...
Molecular Diagnosis and Identification of Equine Piroplasms: Challenges and Insights from a Study in Northern Italy. Equine piroplasmosis is a tick-borne disease caused by and species. Despite its presence in Europe, no laboratory testing is required for animal movement, even though some countries remain free of this disease. Differentiating between species and genotypes is crucial to determine the most effective treatment, as dosage, active compounds, and duration vary. However, diagnosis is often challenging due to genetic variability and the limited sensitivity of molecular methods. The aims of this study were to compare the performances of different molecular diagnostic tests to identify the most effec...
Equine Odontoclastic Tooth Resorption and Hypercementosis (EOTRH) in Icelandic Horses in Germany: A Correlation Between Clinical and Radiographic Findings. Equine odontoclastic tooth resorption and hypercementosis (EOTRH) is a widespread dental disease with an unknown aetiology, mainly affecting the incisors and canine teeth of senior horses. Being clinically asymptomatic in early stages but progressively destructive and painful in many cases highlights the need for improvements in early diagnosis of EOTRH. This study describes how clinical and radiological findings correlate with distinguishing EOTRH-specific symptoms from non-specific findings. Clinical and radiographic examinations of the rostral oral cavity were performed in 154 Icelandic hor...
Age is associated with the requirement for surgery in horses with nephrosplenic ligament entrapment of the large colon at a single UK equine referral hospital. Conservative and surgical management of left dorsal displacement and nephrosplenic ligament entrapment of the large colon (NSLE) is well described in horses. Whilst breed factors predispose the development of NSLE, it is unknown if breed affects the likelihood for surgical intervention. Objective: To compare the incidence of surgical intervention and differences in pre-operative parameters between Thoroughbred and non-Thoroughbred horses. The authors hypothesise a higher proportion of Thoroughbreds require surgical intervention. Methods: Retrospective cross-sectional study. Methods: Case recor...
Gastric equine myiasis: prevalence, pathogenesis, molecular and serological implications. This study aimed to collect data on the most common parasites of the family equidae which is spp. During this study we focused on the prevalence rate in the world; the distribution of the six known species: life cycle and the pathogenesis of the larvae inside the hosts were investigated around the world. Molecular as well as serological diagnoses were analyzed. Possible treatment strategies which were fully studied; are also, included. () and larvae are the main present larvae in equine; other species, such as , , and may be present. Although the female flies' egg-laying behavior can annoy...
Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy. Type 1 Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy (PSSM1) is an autosomal dominant glycogen storage disorder affecting more than 20 breeds of horses that can present with a variety of signs, including exertional rhabdomyolysis (ER). It is diagnosed by genetic testing or muscle biopsies containing muscle fibers with abnormal amylase-resistant polysaccharide. Type 2 PSSM has recently been subdivided. PSSM2-ER is a glycogen storage disorder identified in Quarter Horses that causes ER and is diagnosed by muscle biopsy as its genetic basis is unknown. Both PSSM1 and PSSM2-ER respond well to a low nonstructura...
Clinical Examination of the Muscle System. The equine muscle system is complex and prone to a large range of hereditary and acquired diseases that often have overlapping clinical signs with orthopedic, neurologic, and other disorders. Obtaining a clinical history that fully outlines the client concerns and any known information about the disorder and following with a comprehensive physical examination and screening clinical pathology tests are fundamental to achieve definitive diagnosis. A methodical and comprehensive approach aids accurate diagnosis and development of an optimal treatment and management plan. This article describes th...