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Topic:Diagnostic Technique
Diagnostic techniques in equine medicine encompass a range of procedures and tools used to identify diseases, injuries, or other health conditions in horses. These techniques include imaging methods such as radiography, ultrasonography, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), as well as laboratory tests like blood work and tissue biopsies. Each diagnostic method provides specific information that can aid in the assessment and management of equine health issues. Radiography is commonly used for evaluating bone structures, while ultrasonography is useful for soft tissue examination. MRI offers detailed images of both soft and hard tissues, though its use is limited by cost and availability. Laboratory tests can detect biochemical and hematological changes indicative of disease. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the development, application, and efficacy of various diagnostic techniques in equine veterinary practice.
Phenotypic and genotypic characterization of Arcanobacterium haemolyticum isolates from infections of horses. The present study was designed to characterize phenotypically and genotypically seven Arcanobacterium haemolyticum strains obtained from infections of six horses. All seven strains showed the cultural and biochemical properties typical of A. haemolyticum and were susceptible to most of the antibiotics tested. The species identification could be confirmed by amplification and sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene and the 16S-23S rRNA intergenic spacer region and by PCR amplification of species-specific parts of the gene encoding phospholipase D in A. haemolyticum. Use of the latter could possibly imp...
Evaluation of the long-term oral consequences of equine exodontia in 50 horses. The aims of this study were to objectively evaluate and quantify the process of post-extraction cheek teeth (CT) dental drift in horses, and to report on associated disorders of CT wear and long-term periodontal health. Fifty horses that had CT oral extraction because of apical infection were prospectively re-examined and a full oral examination, including measurements of some dental parameters, was performed. Narrowing of the extraction space was noted in all cases with complete closure occurring in 18% of horses. The rate of dental drift was calculated as 15.7% of extraction space/year (rang...
Resting concentrations of cardiac troponin I in fit horses and effect of racing. To determine normal resting values for cardiac troponin I (cTnI) in healthy Standardbred, Thoroughbred and Warmblood horses and investigate if racing has an influence on cTnI concentrations. Background: Measuring cTnI concentrations in plasma is the gold standard for detecting myocardial injury in humans. Cardiac troponin I is highly conserved between species and has gained interest as a marker for cardiac injury in horses. Increased levels of cTnI have been reported in association with endurance and short-term strenuous exercise on a treadmill in horses. However, the effect of true racing con...
Pathological studies of cheek teeth apical infections in the horse: 4. Aetiopathological findings in 41 apically infected mandibular cheek teeth. Examination of 41 extracted, apically infected mandibular cheek teeth (CT) without obvious causes of infection included radiography, computerised axial tomography and decalcified and undecalcified histology. In CT with recent infections, some pulps remained viable, with proliferative soft and calcified tissue changes confined to the apex. With more advanced CT infections, occlusal pulpar exposure was sometimes present (in 34% of the 41 CT), some infected pulp chambers were filled with necrotic pulp or food, and extensive destructive or proliferative changes were present in the calcified apical...
Pathological studies of cheek teeth apical infections in the horse: 1. Normal endodontic anatomy and dentinal structure of equine cheek teeth. Morphological examinations were performed on 100 normal equine cheek teeth (CT) of 1-12 years dental age (i.e. time since eruption), using gross examination, dissection microscopy, computerised axial tomography, and decalcified and undecalcified histology. The CT in Triadan 07-10 positions consistently had five pulp horns, but the 06 CT had an additional pulp horn more rostrally. Mandibular and maxillary Triadan 11s had six and seven pulp horns, respectively. Sections of CT taken 2-6mm below the occlusal surface (variation due to normal undulating occlusal surface) showed the presence of pulp ...
Natural infection by Cryptosporidium sp., Giardia sp. and Eimeria leuckarti in three groups of equines with different handlings in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. To detect Cryptosporidium sp., Giardia sp. and Eimeria leuckarti in horses, fecal samples were collected from three different handling horse groups from the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Group A was composed of "Mangalarga Marchador" pure breed horses, Group B was formed by horses of a Military Corporation and Group C by stray horses captured by the Center of Zoonosis Control Paulo Dacorso Filho. A total of 396 fecal samples were collected, 212 samples from Group A, 154 samples from Group B and 30 from Group C. The material was submitted to the centrifugation - flotation technique and stain...
Prevalence of occlusal pulpar exposure in 110 equine cheek teeth with apical infections and idiopathic fractures. Examination of 110 cheek teeth (CT) that were clinically extracted (between 2004 and 2008) because of apical infection (n=79; mean dental age 3.5 years) or idiopathic CT fractures (n=31; median dental age 8.5 years), including examinations of transverse and longitudinal sections, showed the apical infections to be mainly (68%) due to anachoresis, with the residual cases caused by periodontal spread, infundibular caries spread, fissure fractures and dysplasia. The idiopathic fracture patterns were similar to previously described patterns. Occlusal pulpar exposure was found in 32% of apically in...
Ocular toxicity and distribution of subconjunctival and intravitreal rapamycin in horses. In vitro photosensitivity of rapamycin (RAPA) and ocular toxicity and distribution of intravitreal and subconjunctival RAPA was evaluated in normal horses. RAPA (2.5 mg, 5 mg, and 10 mg) was placed in 10 mL of PBS and maintained in a water bath at 37 degrees C, kept in the dark or subjected to room light, and sampled for up to 3 months for RAPA levels. Six normal adult horses received either 5 mg (n = 2) or 10 mg (n = 2) of RAPA intravitreally or 10 mg (n = 2) subconjunctivally. Ophthalmic exams and electroretinography (ERG) were performed prior to injection and on days 1, 7, 14, and 21 post-i...
The use of radial extracorporeal shockwave therapy in the treatment of urethral urolithiasis in the horse: a preliminary study. Radial extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) is widely used in equine practice for the treatment of orthopedic problems. However, its original use as a lithotripsy device in human and canine urology led us to postulate that it could be used as an alternative to the surgical treatment of urethral calculi in horses. Objective: Radial ESWT can easily and safely fragment calculi in the distal urethra of the horse. Methods: Two postmortem cases and 1 live case of obstructive urinary disease admitted at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of Liege. Methods: A radial shockwave device was directly appl...
Partial deletion of the LAMA3 gene is responsible for hereditary junctional epidermolysis bullosa in the American Saddlebred Horse. Laminin 5 is a heterotrimeric basement membrane protein integral to the structure and function of the dermal-epidermal junction. It consists of three glycoprotein subunits: the alpha3, beta3 and gamma2 chains, which are encoded by the LAMA3, LAMB3 and LAMC2 genes respectively. A mutation in any of these genes results in the condition known as hereditary junctional epidermolysis bullosa (JEB). A 6589-bp deletion spanning exons 24-27 was found in the LAMA3 gene in American Saddlebred foals born with the skin-blistering condition epitheliogenesis imperfecta. The deletion confirms that this autoso...
Herpesvirus-associated neurological disease in a donkey. A 4-year-old donkey was evaluated for progressive neurological abnormalities consisting of depression, stupor, weakness, and recumbency. Diagnostic evaluation for viral involvement identified an asinine herpesvirus in DNA extracted from deep pharyngeal swabs. Specific primers were designed based on comparison with equine herpesviral DNA polymerase sequences and yielded an 875-base pair product from the donkey. This sequence had complete identity with short sequences of asinine herpesvirus previously identified in donkeys with interstitial pneumonia. Amino acid analysis of the entire sequence i...
Leukocyte-derived and endogenous matrix metalloproteinases in the lamellae of horses with naturally acquired and experimentally induced laminitis. Inflammation and dysregulation of endogenous matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) production are implicated in the development of equine laminitis. In this study, we examine quantitative relationships among levels of leukocyte-derived proMMP-9 and MMP-9, lamellar proMMP-2 and MMP-2, and expression of proMMP-2 processing enzymes, MT1-MMP/PACE4, as steps towards determining whether inflammation and dysregulation of endogenous MMP production are independent or co-dependent processes. Methods: Archived samples of lamellae from horses with naturally acquired laminitis (n = 12), and from horses administer...
A long-term study of apicoectomy and endodontic treatment of apically infected cheek teeth in 12 horses. The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term results of apicoectomy and retrograde endodontic treatment in 12 horses with apical cheek teeth infections. The affected apices were removed using a diamond bur mounted on a dental drill, and after pulp removal the root canals were filed with Hedstrøm files and then alternately flushed with sodium hypochlorite, hydrogen peroxide and alcohol. The pulp canals were dried and filled with endodontic cement and gutta-percha points. An undercut was made in the apical aspect of the root canals that were then sealed with self-curing glass ionomer cem...
Structural characterization of subchondral bone in the distal aspect of third metacarpal bones from Thoroughbred racehorses via micro–computed tomography. To characterize the microstructure of subchondral bone (SCB) plate and trabecular bone (TBB) of the distopalmar aspect of the condyles of third metacarpal bones (MC3s) from Thoroughbred racehorses at 2 different stages of SCB disease via micro-computed tomography (CT). Methods: 12 pairs of MC3s from Thoroughbred racehorses euthanized for various reasons. Methods: MC3s were collected from horses with mild (n = 6) or severe (6) SCB disease, as determined via micro-CT. Cubic (6 x 6 x 6-cm) specimens of SCB plate and TBB were cut from the palmar aspect of condyles and sagittal ridges and examined ...
Pathological studies of cheek teeth apical infections in the horse: 3. Quantitative measurements of dentine in apically infected cheek teeth. Histological measurements of dimensions of primary, regular secondary and irregular secondary dentine, pulp diameter and assessment of the levels of predentine, resting lines and enlarged areas of intertubular dentine were performed in apically infected mandibular and maxillary cheek teeth (CT). These examinations showed significantly reduced regular and irregular secondary dentine thickness in diseased as compared to control CT, with 21/26 infected maxillary CT and 15/18 infected mandibular CT having reduced regular secondary dentine (varying between 27.4% and 89.1% reduced secondary dentine ...
Application of a Reverse Line Blot hybridisation assay for the species-specific identification of cyathostomins (Nematoda, Strongylida) from benzimidazole-treated horses in the Slovak Republic. Five horse farms located in eastern Slovakia were investigated for the presence of benzimidazole-resistant strongyles by faecal egg count reduction test and egg hatch assay. Coprocultures were prepared for each farm from faecal samples taken pre- and post-treatment and harvested larvae were molecularly examined with a Reverse Line Blot assay. Faecal egg count reduction values ranged from 0 to 52.5% and all farms were positive for benzimidazole-resistant cyathostomins. Seven benzimidazole-resistant cyathostomin species were molecularly identified on farms before and also after treatment. These ...
Detection of Lawsonia intracellularis by real-time PCR in the feces of free-living animals from equine farms with documented occurrence of equine proliferative enteropathy. The objective of this study was to determine whether Lawsonia intracellularis was present in the feces of free-living animals collected on two equine premises with documented occurrence of equine proliferative enteropathy (EPE). Fresh feces from black-tailed jackrabbits (Lepus californicus, n=100), striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis, n=22), feral cats (Felis catus, n=14), Brewer's Blackbirds (Euphagus cyanocephalus, n=10), Virginian opossums (Didelphis virginiana, n=9), raccoons (Procyon lotor, n=4), California ground squirrels (Spermophilus beecheyi, n=3), and coyotes (Canis latrans, n=2) were...
Trichinella spp. infection in horses of Romania: serological and parasitological survey. Herbivorous animals are usually, by virtue of their diet, outside the major transmission cycles of Trichinella spp. However, since 1975, the year of the first report of human trichinellosis caused by the consumption of infected horse meat, the domestic horse has appeared as a novel vector of Trichinella spp. infection to humans, with 15 outbreaks documented in France and Italy. Romania, one of the main countries exporting horses into the European Union (EU), experienced a dramatic increase of Trichinella spp. infection in both domestic pigs and humans in the 1990s. Some Trichinella spiralis-in...
Equine arteritis virus: a new isolate from the presumable first carrier stallion in Argentina and its genetic relationships among the four reported unique Argentinean strains. Equine arteritis virus (EAV) was isolated from a testicle of the presumable first stallion infected with EAV in Argentina. This virus isolate (named LT-LP-ARG) was confirmed by GP5-specific PCR and indirect immunofluorescence assays. The PCR product was sequenced, and the phylogenetic analysis revealed that the LT-LP-ARG strain of EAV forms a monophyletic group, together with other strains previously isolated in our laboratory (LP02 group). However, all Argentinean EAV strains belong to a polyphyletic group. We believe that the virus isolate presented in this report could be the origin of EAV ...
Effect of HCG in the presence of HCG antibodies on the follicle, hormone concentrations, and oocyte in mares. Follicle blood flow, follicular-fluid and plasma hormone concentrations, and oocyte quality were studied 30 h after an ovulation-inducing hCG treatment when the pre-ovulatory follicle was 32 mm. Mares were grouped as positive (n = 16) and negative (n = 44) for hCG antibodies before the experimental hCG treatment. Percentage of the follicle wall with blood flow signals was less (p < 0.05) in the antibody positive group than in the negative group. The concentrations of follicular-fluid oestradiol and free IGF1, and plasma oestradiol were greater (p < 0.001), and follicular-fluid progestero...
Development of a bead-based multiplex assay for simultaneous quantification of cytokines in horses. The detection and quantification of equine cytokines has been hampered by the lack of antibodies for many years. With the development of antibody pairs for equine cytokines during the past years, the quantification of these essential regulators of the immune response became possible. After being successfully tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA), three of these anti-cytokine reagents were used here to establish the first cytokine multiplex assay for equine IL-4, IL-10 and IFN-alpha. A fluorescent bead-based system was used as matrix for this assay that allows the simultaneous de...
Follicle deviation in ovulatory follicular waves with one or two dominant follicles in mares. The follicle and hormone aspects of diameter deviation and development of one dominant (>/=28 mm) follicle (1DF) vs two dominant follicles (2DF) were studied in 32 ovulatory follicular waves in mares. Follicles were ranked each day as F1 (largest) to F3. The beginning of deviation was designated day 0 and preceded the first increase in the differences in diameter between F1 and F2 in the 1DF group and between a combination of F1 and F2 vs F3 in the 2DF group. One dominant follicle and 2DF developed in 21 (66%) and 11 (34%) waves, respectively. Double ovulations occurred in only one of the w...
Probable reason why small strongyle EPG counts are returning “early” after ivermectin treatment of horses on a farm in Central Kentucky. Critical tests were carried out in 2008 in four yearling horses (H-2, H-4, H-10, and H-11) born and raised together on a farm (MC) in Central Kentucky. These horses were treated intraorally with ivermectin paste at the dose rate of 200 microg/kg. The main interest was to try and determine more precisely, from posttreatment (PT) worm count data, the current activity of ivermectin against small strongyles in a horse herd. These horses had been treated repeatedly with this compound and counts of small strongyle eggs per gram of feces (EPGs) of these parasites have been returning sooner than previ...
Temporal detection of Lawsonia intracellularis using serology and real-time PCR in Thoroughbred horses residing on a farm endemic for equine proliferative enteropathy. The goals of this study were to evaluate titers of antibodies against Lawsonia intracellularis in 68 resident broodmares from a farm known to be endemic for equine proliferative enteropathy (EPE) and to evaluate maternal antibodies, occurrence of seroconversion and fecal shedding in their foals. Serum samples collected from mares at delivery and from foals pre- and post-colostrum ingestion and monthly thereafter were tested for the presence of L. intracellularis antibodies by immunoperoxidase monolayer assay (IPMA). Further, feces collected from mares at delivery and foals post-partum and mont...
A 4,103 marker integrated physical and comparative map of the horse genome. A comprehensive second-generation whole genome radiation hybrid (RH II), cytogenetic and comparative map of the horse genome (2n = 64) has been developed using the 5000rad horse x hamster radiation hybrid panel and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). The map contains 4,103 markers (3,816 RH; 1,144 FISH) assigned to all 31 pairs of autosomes and the X chromosome. The RH maps of individual chromosomes are anchored and oriented using 857 cytogenetic markers. The overall resolution of the map is one marker per 775 kilobase pairs (kb), which represents a more than five-fold improvement over ...
Risk factors for the development of haemorrhagic anovulatory follicles in the mare. Haemorrhage into the dominant follicle during the reproductive season is a subtle but definitive cause of infertility in the mare population. This condition however can be of high relevance for an individual in which its incidence is abnormally high. Little is known about the nature and factors affecting the incidence of haemorrhagic anovulatory follicles (HAFs) in the mare. The objectives of the study were to define and characterize the ultrasonographic development and incidence of HAFs and to investigate possible risk factors influencing its occurrence. Detailed reproductive and ultrasound r...
Enilconazole treatment of horses with superficial Aspergillus spp. rhinitis. Mycotic rhinitis is an uncommon disease in horses with a wide range of clinical signs and treatment options based on case studies of a single or only a few individuals. Moreover, while dogs with mycotic rhinitis appear to respond well to treatment with topical enilconazole, this approach has yet to be reported in horses. Objective: The aim of this study was to describe the clinical findings, results of diagnostic investigations, treatment, and outcome in horses with mycotic rhinitis treated with topical enilconazole. Methods: Eight horses were included in the study. Methods: Medical records fr...
Sequence heterogeneity in the 18S rRNA gene within Theileria equi and Babesia caballi from horses in South Africa. A molecular epidemiological survey of the protozoal parasites that cause equine piroplasmosis was conducted using samples collected from horses and zebra from different geographical locations in South Africa. A total of 488 samples were tested for the presence of Theileria equi and/or Babesia caballi using the reverse line blot hybridization assay. Ten percent of the samples hybridized to the Theileria/Babesia genus-specific probe and not to the B. caballi or T. equi species-specific probes, suggesting the presence of a novel species or genotype. The small subunit of rRNA gene (18S; approximat...
Case of bilateral seminoma in a trotter stallion. This report describes a bilateral seminoma in a stallion. After slaughter, histological examination revealed that the tumour consisted predominantly of polyhedral tumour cells with large nuclei, obvious nucleoli and a small border of cytoplasm. The mitotic index was low and Ki67 staining revealed 4% nuclear staining. To our knowledge, this paper is the first using Ki67 staining as a method to evaluate the mitotic rate in a testicular seminoma in the stallion.
