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.
Primary phenotypic features associated with caudal neck pathology in warmblood horses. Detailed descriptions of clinical signs associated with radiological findings of the caudal cervical vertebral column are not available. Objective: Describe the clinical features associated with neck pain or stiffness, neck-related thoracic limb lameness, proprioceptive ataxia consistent with a cervicothoracic spinal cord or nerve lesion, and their frequency of occurrence compared with control horses. Methods: A total of 223 Warmblood horses. Methods: Case-control study. Controls and cases were recruited prospectively. All horses underwent predetermined lameness and neurologic examinations. Th...
A fresh look at the SarcoFluor antibody test for the detection of specific antibodies to Sarcocystis neurona for the diagnosis of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis. Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) is a challenging disease to diagnose in horses with neurological signs. To optimize contemporary diagnostic testing, including the use of serum:CSF antibody ratios, the SarcoFluor antibody test for Sarcocystis neurona requires revalidation. The SarcoFluor, a previously validated immunofluorescent antibody test (IFAT) for the detection of antibodies specific to S. neurona in serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of naturally infected horses was analyzed using recent data and considering a serum:CSF antibody ratio threshold. Utilization of serum and CSF pho...
A case of equine multicentric lymphoma: Clinical, microscopical, and molecular findings. Although relatively uncommon, lymphoma is the most prevalent haematopoietic neoplasia in horses, and multicentric lymphoma remains the most common presentation of the disease. The pathogenesis of equine lymphoma is still poorly understood and the diagnosis is usually confirmed at an advanced stage of the disease, compromising the prognosis. This study investigated the clinical, pathological, and molecular features of a case of equine multicentric lymphoma. Unassigned: An apparently healthy 5-year-old crossbreed mare hospitalized at the Centre of Animal Reproduction of Vairão, Portugal, sudden...
Becoming a matter of veterinary concern. Horses in Great Britain are living into increasingly older age and are often regarded as friends or family members by their owner. The horse is reliant on their owner to meet their needs and this paper discusses how horse owners frame an issue that becomes a matter of veterinary concern within the context of the older horse. Qualitative methods were used to explore the experiences of owners and veterinarians. Data were collected and analysed using a grounded theory approach during the period 2019-2022. Analysis identified that owners undertook an ongoing and iterative process of assessment, mo...
Findings and Prognosis in 149 Horses with Histological Changes Compatible with Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic disease characterized by different cell infiltrates in the intestine. The aims of this study were to report the clinical and clinicopathological findings in horses with histological changes compatible with IBD in the duodenum. Further, the clinical progression of IBD and survival were investigated. Patient records were reviewed for horses in which histological evidence of IBD was found in duodenal biopsies collected during endoscopy. The histological changes were classified as mild, moderate or severe and the predominant infiltrating cell type was ...
ECEIM consensus statement on equine kidney disease. The aim of this consensus statement is to summarize and appraise scientific evidence and combine this with the clinical experience of a panel of experts to optimize recommendations on how to recognize and manage kidney disease in horses.
Approach to Immune-mediated Ocular Diseases. Immune-mediated ocular inflammation is a common clinical diagnosis reached for horses with keratitis and uveitis. This diagnosis is made as a diagnosis of exclusion following a thorough effort to rule out an underlying cause for the inflammation, most importantly infectious and neoplastic disease. Practically, response to ophthalmic and systemic anti-inflammatory or immunomodulatory medications is used to support a diagnosis of immune-mediated ocular inflammation; however, such medications are often contraindicated in the face of infection or neoplasia. This article will summarize our current ...
The Horse with Recurrent Fevers and Infections: Approach to Common Variable Immunodeficiency. Equine common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is a rare, late-onset, nonfamilial humoral deficiency characterized by B-cell depletion and/or dysfunction resulting in inadequate antibody production and predisposition to recurrent infections. Serum immunoglobulin concentration and peripheral blood lymphocyte immunophenotyping are required to diagnose and characterize CVID in horses. Early recognition of the disease by the equine practitioner is paramount to managing the quality of life for these patients, for whom specific treatment is not yet available and long-term prognosis remains poor. An ...
Approach to Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in the horse encompasses a group of infiltrative gastrointestinal disorders resulting in malabsorption, maldigestion, weight loss, colic, and sometimes diarrhea. The type of IBD can be classified as granulomatous, lymphocytic-plasmacytic, or eosinophilic enterocolitis. The diagnosis of IBD in equids is based on consistent clinical signs and clinicopathologic findings in conjunction with confirmatory histopathology from a gastrointestinal biopsy. Treatment usually consists of a combination of immunosuppressive medications, anthelmintics, and dietary modification...
Sensory nerve conduction stimulus threshold measurements of the infraorbital nerve and its applicability as a diagnostic tool in horses with trigeminal-mediated headshaking. To determine whether sensory nerve conduction stimulus threshold measurements of the infraorbital nerve are able to differentiate horses with idiopathic trigeminal-mediated headshaking (i-TMHS) from healthy horses and from horses with secondary trigeminal-mediated headshaking (s-TMHS). In a prospective trial, headshaking horses were examined using a standardized diagnostic protocol, including advanced diagnostics such as computed tomography and 3-Tesla-magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), to differentiate s-TMHS from i-TMHS. Clinically healthy horses served as controls. Within this process, patie...
Isolation, serological and molecular methods in screening of Burkholderia mallei in East Azerbaijan province, Iran. Glanders caused by Burkholderia mallei is one of the most dangerous zoonotic diseases in solipeds. Clinical diagnosis of this disease in its early stages in horses, is difficult. This study investigated serological and molecular identification of B. mallei in East Azerbaijan province. In the third and fourth quarters of 2020, throughout 2021, and in the first and second quarters of 2022, the complement fixation test (CFT) was performed on 350 horses. The malleination was used to confirm the positive CFT cases. Blood samples were taken for culture and for preparing serums to perform the enzyme-...
Extensive intraocular melanoma with secondary glaucoma in a 15-month-old Thoroughbred filly. A 15-month-old, grey, Thoroughbred filly presented for investigation of a 6-week history of corneal oedema and blepharospasm on the right eye (OD). The filly was otherwise healthy. Following ophthalmic examination, glaucoma on the OD was diagnosed. A space occupying mass within the anterior chamber was documented on transpalpebral ultrasonographic examination. This mass obliterated most of the anterior intraocular structures on the peripheral nasal side (corneal endothelium and drainage angle), leading to secondary glaucoma. After systemic and topical treatment addressing secondary glaucoma, t...
Corkscrew Technique for Extraction of Premolars and Molars in Standing Sedated Horses: Cadaveric Study and Clinical Cases. Several tooth extraction techniques are described in equine literature, and oral extraction techniques in standing sedated horses are popular among equine practitioners. The objectives of this study were to develop the corkscrew technique for cheek tooth extraction (CSET) in equine cadaver heads and evaluate this technique in clinical cases. We hypothesized that the CSET could be performed safely to extract cheek teeth in standing sedated horses. First, the CSET was attempted and developed in eight equine cadaver heads. Second, the CSET was performed in clinical cases between 2016 and 2020, an...
Current insights into equine neuroaxonal dystrophy/equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy. Equine neuroaxonal dystrophy/equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy (eNAD/EDM) is an inherited neurodegenerative disease associated with vitamin E deficiency in the first year of life. It is the second most common cause of spinal ataxia in horses euthanized for neurologic disease. Equine NAD/EDM is characterized by neurologic signs including a symmetric proprioceptive ataxia (> grade 2/5) and a wide-base stance at rest. There are currently no antemortem tests for eNAD/EDM in any breed. Conclusive diagnosis requires postmortem histologic evaluation of the brainstem and spinal cord at necropsy....
What is your diagnosis? Urine from a horse. No abstract available
Non-invasive electroarthrography measures cartilage in live horses and correlates to direct measurements of cartilage streaming potentials in weight bearing regions of equine metacarpophalangeal joints. To perform non-invasive Electroarthrography (EAG) on live horses and establish relationships between EAG and direct measurements of cartilage streaming potentials in weight bearing areas of the equine metacarpophalangeal joint. Methods: EAG was performed bilaterally on the metacarpophalangeal joints of live horses (n = 3). Separate experiments used metacarpophalangeal joint explants (n = 11) to measure EAG obtained during simulated loading followed by direct measurements of cartilage streaming potentials on joint surfaces using the Arthro-BST probe. Joints were assigned to relatively norma...
Pressure pain mapping of equine distal joints: feasibility and reliability. Osteoarthritis is a prevalent degenerative joint disease initiating chronic pain and lameness in horses. While several objective gait analysis systems have been developed and validated to quantify lameness severity in horses, methods to evaluate whether peripheral sensitization contributes to the pain experienced are missing. Unassigned: To evaluate whether periarticular pressure pain mapping could be proposed as an auxiliary assessment tool in horses. Specific aims were to evaluate the feasibility and intra- and inter-rater reliability of pressure pain thresholds (PPT) determination at sites ...
Clinical findings and outcome predictors for multinodular pulmonary fibrosis in horses: 46 cases (2009-2019). Prognostic indicators for equine multinodular pulmonary fibrosis (EMPF), an interstitial fibrosing lung disease, are poorly described. Objective: Describe diagnostic findings and outcome predictors for EMPF. Methods: Forty-six adult horses with EMPF. Methods: Retrospective multicenter case series from 2009 to 2019. Radiographic (n = 27) and ultrasonographic studies (n = 19) from EMPF horses and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) cytology from 6 EMPF and 13 asthma cases were independently reviewed and blinded to diagnosis and outcome. Associations between predictor variables and surviv...
Selecting potential biomarkers of plasma proteins in mares with endometritis. Endometritis is a common condition in mares that causes significant economic loss. Lacking obvious clinical signs, the clinical diagnosis of endometritis in mares relies on case-by-case clinical examinations, which can be particularly inefficient in large-scale farms. Therefore, the identification of potential biomarkers can serve as a non-invasive and efficient screening technique for endometritis in mares. Objective: To compare the blood proteome between fertile mares and mares with endometritis to identify biomarkers potentially associated with the development of endometritis and validate t...
Development of a Real-Time Recombinase-Aided Amplification Method for the Rapid Detection of Streptococcus equi subsp. equi. subspecies () is the causative pathogen of strangles in horses, donkeys, and other equine animals. Strangles has spread globally and causes significant losses to the horse industry. In response to the urgent need for effective disease control, this study introduces a novel nucleic acid diagnostic method known as a real-time recombinase-assisted amplification (RAA) assay, developed based on the gene, for the rapid detection of nucleic acid. The real-time RAA method employs specifically designed probes and primers targeting the gene, enhancing the overall specificity and sensitivity of the ...
Twin management in the mare: A review. Twin gestation in the mare is undesirable and can have disastrous consequences. As in many cases, the key to success in twin management lies in a thorough follow-up and accurate recording of clinical findings in the pre-breeding examination. A pregnancy diagnosis in the mobility phase is imperative for a good outcome in the event of twin reduction. If a twin gestation is not diagnosed during this early pregnancy stage, several other procedures exist for managing post-fixation twins (>16 days) with varying degrees of success. Most twin pregnancies are the result of multiple ovulations (dizygo...
Application of the HRE-S to 140 horses with trigeminal-mediated headshaking and the association of clinical signs with diagnosis, therapy, and outcome. Horses with trigeminal-mediated headshaking (TMHS) exhibit different headshaking patterns (HSPs), electric shock-like jerking, signs of nasal irritation, and painful facial expressions. The History Rest and Exercise Score (HRE-S) was developed to objectively clarify the severity of the condition in affected horses. This score considers the history and severity of clinical signs at rest and exercise. This study aimed to assess the frequency of different clinical signs and their individual associations with diagnosis, treatment, and outcome in horses diagnosed with TMHS.The clinical records of h...
Comparison of veterinarians and a deep learning tool in the diagnosis of equine ophthalmic diseases. The aim was to compare ophthalmic diagnoses made by veterinarians to a deep learning (artificial intelligence) software tool which was developed to aid in the diagnosis of equine ophthalmic diseases. As equine ophthalmology is a very specialised field in equine medicine, the tool may be able to help in diagnosing equine ophthalmic emergencies such as uveitis. Methods: In silico tool development and assessment of diagnostic performance. Methods: A deep learning tool which was developed and trained for classification of equine ophthalmic diseases was tested with 40 photographs displaying various...
A Single-Port, Multiple-Access, Custom-Made Device Used in Laparoscopically Assisted Cryptorchidectomy in Standing Horses-A Preliminary Study. This study evaluates a new multiport device with single access to the abdominal cavity produced with routine hospital supplies that could be applied to laparoscopically assisted cryptorchidectomy in standing horses. Initially, the new device was evaluated on five cadavers of bovine fetuses ( = 5), placed assisted in a minilaparotomy performed in the flank region. Subsequently, the device was evaluated in four cryptorchid horses treated during the hospital routine. During the evaluation of the new device, the possibilities of exploring the abdominal cavity, inspection, and intra-abdominal manip...
Identification of third stage larvae of strongyles and molecular diagnosis of Strongylus vulgaris in the feces of Thoroughbred horses kept in training centers in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The aims of the present study were to identify strongyles in the feces of Thoroughbred horses based on larval morphology; to detect Strongylus vulgaris using molecular diagnosis and compare results to those of feces culture; and to determine the association between the presence of S. vulgaris with corresponding animal information (age range, gender, and anthelmintic use). Feces of horses kept in six Training Centers in Rio de Janeiro State, that showed the presence of ≥500 eggs per gram of feces (EPG) were subjected to strongyle identification. Of the 520 fecal samples collected, 35 had an E...
Classification performance of sEMG and kinematic parameters for distinguishing between non-lame and induced lameness conditions in horses. Despite its proven research applications, it remains unknown whether surface electromyography (sEMG) can be used clinically to discriminate non-lame from lame conditions in horses. This study compared the classification performance of sEMG absolute value (sEMGabs) and asymmetry (sEMGasym) parameters, alongside validated kinematic upper-body asymmetry parameters, for distinguishing non-lame from induced fore- (iFL) and hindlimb (iHL) lameness. Bilateral sEMG and 3D-kinematic data were collected from clinically non-lame horses ( = 8) during in-hand trot. iFL and iHL (2-3/5 AAEP) were induced...
Review of the clinical diagnosis of sacroiliac dysfunction in horses – challenges and limitations. Sacroiliac dysfunction (SID) is a condition seen in horses associated with poor performance that affects hind limb gait and impulsion. The condition comprises pain and dysfunction but there lacks clarity around the aetiopathogenesis and whether SID encompasses abnormal joint pathology, abnormal joint movement, abnormal regional biomechanical function, joint laxity and pain, or various combinations of these that may vary over time. Clinical assessment remains challenging for equine clinicians due to the deep location of the sacroiliac joint (SIJ) and surrounding structures which limits access f...
Diagnostic performance of a rapid immunochromatographic test for the simultaneous detection of antibodies to Theileria equi and Babesia caballi in horses and donkeys. Equine piroplasmosis is caused by two tick-borne protozoan parasites, Theileria equi and Babesia caballi,, which are clinically relevant in susceptible horses, donkeys, and mules. Moreover, equine piroplasmosis significantly constrains international trading and equestrian events. Rapidly diagnosing both parasites in carrier animals is essential for implementing effective control measures. Here, a rapid immunochromatographic test for the simultaneous detection of antibodies to T. equi and B. caballi was evaluated using samples from horses and donkeys collected in Greece, Israel, and Italy. The ...
Diamond burr debridement of calcific band keratopathy in 24 eyes of 22 horses. To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of diamond burr debridement (DBD) for the treatment of calcific band keratopathy (CBK) in horses. Methods: Medical records from horses with CBK were reviewed over a period of 4 years. Diagnosis of CBK was based on slit-lamp examination findings, and DBD was performed on standing sedated horses. Follow-up was obtained by clinical reevaluation of the treated eyes or a telephone survey with the referring veterinarian. Results: Twenty-two horses of different ages (median: 11 years; range: 5-23) representing 24 CBK-affected eyes (14 left eyes and 10 righ...