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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.
Spirochaetes in the equine caecum. Two morphological types of spirochaete were found in the horse caecum measuring 4 to 6 micron by 0.3 to 0.4 micron and 6 to 8 micron by 0.1 to 0.2 micron. Attempts were made to culture the organisms but none survived subculture beyond the primary isolate. Electron microscopy revealed that many of the organisms were infected by bacteriophages.
Genital injuries from mating in the mare. Minor accidents during natural mating are common occurrences during the breeding of horses. Mares may suffer from a variety of genital injuries including vulval separations, vaginal lacerations and, less commonly, vaginal rupture. Possible sequelae to, and management of, these injuries are described, with additional mention of false entry by the stallion and persistent hymen in maiden mares. Vaginal rupture during natural mating can lead to death of the mare. The implications for litigation involving veterinary surgeons and horse breeders are discussed.
Chronic eosinophilic dermatitis: a manifestation of a multisystemic, eosinophilic, epitheliotropic disease in five horses. A generalized, chronic, progressive, exfoliative dermatitis in five horses is described. Histologically, the lesion is characterized by a superficial and deep perivascular dermatitis which is eosinophil-rich with a marked lymphocytic and plasmacytic component, accompanied by marked acanthosis and hyperkeratosis. More severe cases progress to a lichenoid pattern with the same cellular composition with focal eosinophilic spongiosis and eosinophilic subcorneal pustules. Clinically, the disease is associated with chronic, severe weight loss and is fulminating. The skin lesions are accompanied by l...
Endocarditis in six horses. Six horses (five males) aged three months to fourteen years had endocarditis at necropsy. Two of the horses had a clinical diagnosis of valvular endocarditis with negative blood cultures. Single or complex valvular involvement was present in five horses. One horse had non-infectious thrombi associated only with the chordae tendineae. Mitral valves were affected in four horses, and aortic semilunar valves were affected in two. Infarcts had occurred in the kidneys and the myocardium of four horses. Bacteria were isolated postmortem from the valvular vegetations of two horses; Candida parapsilosi...
Fracture of the greater tubercle of the humerus in a filly. A fracture of the caudal portion of the greater tubercle of the humerus was diagnosed in a 16-month-old Thoroughbred filly. Initially the fracture caused severe lameness. Radiography of the affected shoulder revealed the fracture fragment to be extra-articular, with a surrounding bony callus and no evidence of joint disease. After 5 weeks rest in a stall and 11 months at pasture, the filly was trained and raced without lameness.
A review and some observations on stringhalt. A review of the literature on stringhalt in horses is presented, including the aetiology, clinical signs, pathology and treatment of this disease. Three New Zealand outbreaks of stringhalt are reported and discussed. The occurrence of these (and most previously reported outbreaks) in the late summer and autumn, and the association of the disease with various weeds, indicates a likely toxic aetiology.
Equine leucocyte antigen system: progress and potential. Leucocyte antigens are cell-surface glycoproteins, the structure of which is under the genetic control of a chromosome region called the major histocompatibility complex. Progress in the study of the equine leucocyte antigen (ELA) system has been achieved in two ways; first by the fact that the ELA system is intensively investigated in different laboratories all over the world and parallels can be drawn to the information gained from research in more extensively studied species, and secondly by the collaborative efforts of the participants in three international workshops. The potential applic...
Diagnosis of gastroduodenojejunitis and its surgical treatment by a temporary duodenocaecostomy. Gastroduodenojejunitis is a catarrhal inflammation of the stomach and proximal portion of the small intestine. Secondary overloading of the stomach occurs so that affected horses rapidly enter a state of hypovolaemic shock which is further complicated by the presence of toxins. The condition can occur in a mild or severe form. In mild cases, conservative treatment comprising intravenous electrolyte therapy and repeated gastric decompression is indicated and is usually successful. In severe cases surgical treatment creating duodenocaecal anastomosis has given good results. This should be carrie...
Equine leucocyte antigens in sarcoid-affected horses. The distribution of equine leucocyte antigens (ELA) in horses affected by equine sarcoid tumours was determined and compared with unaffected controls. ELA-haplotype W3,B1 occurred more frequently in affected riding horses of Irish, Swiss and French background. The combined data for the three breeds resulted in a chi 2 value of 20.35 (P less than 0.0005 after correction). Simultaneously, ELA-specificity W11 was more frequently found in horses of Irish background, while W5 was found in Swiss and French horses with sarcoids. The combined data for haplotype W3,B1 and/or W5 specificity demonstrated...
Antibodies against equine herpesvirus 1 in the cerebrospinal fluid in the horse. Neutralizing antibodies against equine herpesvirus 1 were measured in serum and cerebrospinal fluid of 16 horses and ponies from a closed herd both before and after vaccination with modified live equine herpesvirus 1. These titers were also measured in 22 neurologically normal and 15 neurologically abnormal horses at a teaching hospital. Animals from the closed herd had prevaccination serum titers up to 1:8 and postvaccination serum titers up to 1:128. Horses from the teaching hospital had serum titers up to 1:64. Cerebrospinal fluid titers were not detected in the vaccinated horses or the neu...
Deficiency of the contact phase of intrinsic coagulation in a horse. A 16-year-old gelding was examined because of weight loss, inappetence, and intermittent fever of 2 months' duration. Preliminary laboratory findings revealed anemia, hypoproteinemia, thrombocytopenia, and prolongation of the activated partial thromboplastin time. A deficiency or inhibition of coagulation factor XI, factor XII, or high molecular weight kininogen was diagnosed. This defect was not associated with a bleeding diathesis, but should be considered as a cause of prolongation of the activated partial thromboplastin time.
Embryonic loss in mares: Incidence and ultrasonic morphology. Pregnancy was determined by ultrasound on Days 11, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, and 50 in 154 ponies and 27 horses. In ponies, the embryonic loss rate for Days 11 to 15 (28 154 , 18.2%) was greater (P<0.01) than for any of the subsequent five-day intervals (0% to 3.3%). There were no losses during Days 11 to 15 in horses (0 27 ), and the difference between ponies and horses was significant. The loss rates for the seven periods encompassing Days 15 to 50 were not significantly different among periods. Pseudopregnancy occurred more frequently (P<0.01) following embryonic loss after Day 20 (...
Occipitoatlantoaxial malformation in two non-Arabian horses. Occipitoatlantoaxial malformation was diagnosed in a 19-month-old mare of Appaloosa breeding and in a 3-year-old Quarter Horse gelding. Both horses had abnormal head and neck carriage since birth, but neurologic deficits did not become evident clinically until the horses reached 2 and 3 years of age, respectively. Palpation and manipulation of the base of the skull and cervical area proved to be useful diagnostically. Movement could not be elicited at the atlantooccipital joint but, in comparison with clinically normal horses, the range of dorsoventral motion at the atlantoaxial joint was incr...
Use of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the diagnosis of equine Histoplasmosis farciminosi (epizootic lymphangitis). An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was evaluated for the detection of antibody in sera of equine naturally infected with Histoplasma farciminosum 'epizootic lymphangitis'. Ten sera from naturally infected horses were tested. A hydrogen peroxide ABTS mixture constituted the substrate. The reactions were read as the absorbance values measured at 405 nm using a spectrophotometer. The standard deviation and the average percentage of the absorbance values of the different serum samples were considered in the interpretation of the results. All sera were proved positive with variations in the diffe...
Functional and biochemical characterization of immunologically derived equine platelet-activating factor. Antigen-specific challenge of equine leukocytes induced the non-lytic release of a platelet-activating factor in vitro. The equine platelet-activating factor stimulated the release of serotonin from equine platelets in a dose-responsive manner, independent of the presence of cyclo-oxygenase pathway inhibitors such as indomethacin. Rabbit platelets were also responsive to equine platelet-activating factor. The release of equine platelet-activating factor was a rapid reaction with near maximal secretion taking place in 30 seconds. Addition of equine platelet-activating factor to washed equine pl...
Case of quadrilateral flexural contracture in a 10-year-old pony. The management of a case of quadrilateral flexural contracture in a 10-year-old pony is described. The animal was restored to normal appearance and function through a combination of surgical desmotomy and management techniques; the importance of analgesia and exercise as adjuncts to surgery is emphasised. The aetiology and pathogenesis of the condition in the immature animal and the adult is compared and a possible association is made between this condition and palmar fibromatosis (Dupuytren's contracture) occurring in man.
Use of 111In-labeled autologous leukocytes to image an abdominal abscess in a horse. Indium 111-labeled autologous leukocytes were used to image an abdominal abscess in a horse with a palpable abdominal mass and history of Streptococcus equi infection. A focal area of radioactivity was identified in the location corresponding to the abscess. Imaging of this focal uptake was optimal 48 hours after injection. Similar scans obtained in 2 clinically normal horses revealed no evidence of focal radioactivity in this region. The cell labeling procedure gave acceptable labeling efficiency (87.5%) but an excessive number of damaged WBC, resulting in persistent lung radioactivity on all...
Effects of enterocentesis on peritoneal fluid constituents in the horse. Peritoneal fluid was collected from 15 clinically normal horses and was analyzed for nucleated cell (NC) counts and specific gravity. Six horses (controls, group 1) were subjected to abdominocentesis only, with a teat cannula, every 24 hours for 5 days. There were no marked changes in the peritoneal fluid of these horses over the 5-day period. Peritoneal fluid was collected from 6 other horses (group 2) with an 8.89-cm 18-gauge needle. The needle was then advanced until intestinal fluid was obtained. Peritoneal fluid was then collected with teat cannulas at 24-hour intervals for an additional ...
Neoplasia of the equine urinary bladder as a cause of hematuria. In 6 horses with urinary bladder neoplasms, common clinical findings included a palpable mass in the bladder, anemia, hematuria, and/or proteinuria. Squamous cell carcinoma was found in 4 horses and appears to be the most common bladder tumor in the horse. Single cases of transitional cell carcinoma and fibromatous polyp also were identified. All horses except one were over 10 years of age. In one mare, treatment with 5-fluorouracil intracystically resulted in decreased bleeding from the bladder mass and apparent stabilization of the mass size. The mare ultimately died because of abdominal met...
Quantitative determination of betamethasone and its major metabolite in equine urine by micro-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Micro-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (micro-LC-MS) was utilized to quantitatively determine betamethasone and its major unconjugated metabolite, 6 beta-hydroxybetamethasone, in equine plasma and urine. The advantage of micro-LC-MS over conventional gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in corticosteroid determination is illustrated and the reliable, steadfast nature of micro-LC-MS is demonstrated through example.
Prevalence of equine onchocerciasis in southeastern and midwestern United States. Of 664 horses reported to have originated in southeastern and midwestern United States, 341 (51.4%) were positive for Onchocerca cervicalis cutaneous microfilariasis. The highest prevalence of 68.8% was recorded for horses from Virginia. Horses with the highest concentrations of microfilariae (as high as 19,770 microfilariae/mg in 1 horse) were from the Southeast (Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, and Alabama). For horses from South Carolina, the prevalence of infection was 57.1%; from the Midwest (Kentucky, Illinois, Ohio, and Indiana), 54.4%; from North Carolina, 45.5%; from Pennsylvania, 7.7%; a...
Common ventricle with separate pulmonary outflow chamber in a horse. On the basis of clinical and laboratory examinations, a ventricular septal defect or a variant of the tetralogy of Fallot was suspected in a 3-year-old filly with a history of poor growth rate and exercise intolerance. The filly was euthanatized and found to have a 3-chambered heart (cor triloculare biatriatum). The heart had 2 normally formed atria and a large common ventricle into which the right and left atrioventricular orifices opened and from which the aorta arose. There was a small separate chamber from which the pulmonary trunk originated. This chamber communicated with the common vent...
Haemorrhagic necrotising enteritis in foals associated with Clostridium perfringens. Two foals aged 35 and 48 h from 2 Thoroughbred studs died several hours after developing clinical signs of depression, severe haemorrhagic diarrhoea and dehydration. Both foals had an acute haemorrhagic enteritis extending from the anterior jejunum to the terminal ileum which was characterised histologically by villus necrosis. Necrotic villi were surrounded by large numbers of rod-shaped Gram positive bacteria. Clostridium perfringens was recovered from the intestines of both foals and the isolates were considered to be C. perfringens type C. Other cases of diarrhoea were also observed in foa...
Ulcerative keratitis associated with Salmonella arizonae infection in a horse. Salmonella arizonae 61:1,5, was isolated in pure culture from the eye of a horse with unilateral ulcerative keratitis. The eye responded well to treatment with atropine sulfate and polymyxin B-bacitracin-neomycin ophthalmic ointments. In swab specimens taken after the lesion had healed, Salmonella was not found to be a constituent of the bacterial flora of the horse's eyes.
Osteochondritis dissecans of the sagittal ridge of the third metacarpal and metatarsal bones in horses. Osteochondritis dissecans of the sagittal ridge of the third metacarpal and metatarsal bones was diagnosed in 8 horses during an 18-month period. Seven of the horses were less than or equal to 2 1/2 years old. Synovial distention of the affected fetlock joints and a pain response to fetlock flexion were typical findings. Lameness predominated in 1 limb at a trot, although fetlock flexion frequently elicited lameness in other affected limbs. Radiography revealed bony lesions (flattening, erosion, or fragmentation) of the sagittal ridge in at least 2 fetlock joints in all horses. The onset of si...
Studies on histoplasmosis farciminosi (epizootic lymphangitis) in Egypt. Isolation of Histoplasma farciminosum from cases of histoplasmosis farciminosi in horses and its morphological characteristics. Isolation of Histoplasma farciminosum from five horses, showing typical signs of histoplasmosis farciminosi (epizootic lymphangitis) was successfully attempted. The mycelial form of H. farciminosum was isolated on Sabouraud dextrose agar enriched with 2.5% glycerol, brain heart infusion (BHI) agar enriched with 10% horse blood and PPLO dextrose glycerol agar. The last medium proved to be the most effective, both for primary isolation and subculturing of the fungus. It was found that on primary isolation, the lag phase of the mycelial form of the fungus was relatively long, involving 4-8 weeks ...
Suspected Tyzzer’s disease in two foals. Tyzzer's disease was diagnosed histologically in two foals, a 4-week-old Thoroughbred cross and a 6-week-old Arabian foal. Clinically both foals were in good health prior to a short illness lasting only a few hours. The liver lesions in both foals were characterized microscopically by multiple foci of necrosis. Variable numbers of elongated slender intracytoplasmic bacilli resembling Bacillus piliformis were demonstrated within hepatocytes bordering the necrotic foci.
