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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.
[Trichomonad infections of the oral cavity in horses in southern Germany]. Trichomonads of the oral cavity were found in 9 of 60 investigated horses. Apart from dental tartar, the oral cavity showed no clinical signs in all positive horses. The clinical investigation of these horses additionally revealed colic in 4 and coughing in 4 horses as well as lumbago in 1 animal. By means of scanning electron microscopy the trichomonads were shown to be round or piriform with an average length of 7.6 microns and greatest width of 6.3 microns. They had 4 anterior flagella with an average length of 8.3 microns, an undulating membrane measuring 8.7 microns with no trailing flage...
Variability of alpha-tocopherol values associated with procurement, storage, and freezing of equine serum and plasma samples. Recent evidence concerning the pathogenesis of equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy indicated that low blood alpha-tocopherol values are a factor in the disease process. Variables that could be introduced by a veterinarian procuring, transporting, or storing samples were evaluated for effects on alpha-tocopherol concentration in equine blood. These variables included temperature; light; exposure to the rubber stopper of the evacuated blood collection tube; hemolysis; duration of freezing time, with and without nitrogen blanketing; and repeated freeze/thaw cycles. It was found that hemolysis...
Use of a semi-quantitative sweat test in thoroughbred horses. A practical test for evaluating the sweating response to various concentrations of the specific beta 2 agonist, salbutamol sulphate, is described. The results of performing this test on horses (n = 54) considered to be "free sweaters", horses (n = 6) that showed signs of heat stress following exercise, and horses with complete anhidrosis (n = 2) are presented. The results indicate that intradermal injections of 0.1 ml of salbutamol sulphate at dilutions of 10(-7) or less are suitable stimuli to elicit a visually detectable local sweating in horses with a normal sweating response. Horses that o...
Ocular cosmetic and prosthetic devices. Specific details on surgical procedures, although not covered here, are available in other references. Factors enhancing the overall cosmetic appearance obtained with procedures are emphasized, providing information that should allow veterinarians to offer clients a good cosmetic appearance and effective treatment for disfiguring ocular problems in their horses. Questions regarding procedures should be addressed to your referral ophthalmologist or, in the case of a corneoscleral prosthesis, the ocularist assisting.
A specific stain for the detection of nonheme iron proteins in polyacrylamide gels. Nonheme iron proteins can be visualized as blue bands in native polyacrylamide gels using a staining method that is both simple and rapid. The reaction of potassium ferricyanide with protein-bound iron atoms to form royal blue complexes occurs almost instantaneously and is sensitive enough to detect 1 microgram of analytical-grade ferritin and 2 micrograms of purified ferredoxin from cyanobacteria. No special treatment of reagents or apparatus was necessary. On comparison, this stain was found to be more specific than the Ferene S stain, not detecting bovine serum albumin even when present as ...
Relationship between colloid osmotic pressure and plasma protein concentration in cattle, horses, dogs, and cats. The relationship between colloid osmotic pressure (COP) and protein concentration was investigated for purified proteins and plasma samples obtained from cattle, horses, dogs, and cats. At equivalent concentrations, bovine albumin exerted a COP that exceeded that of gamma-globulins by a mean factor of 4.4. Similar relationships between COP and protein were observed in the other species. Consequently, for a given total protein concentration, COP was dependent on the albumin/gamma-globulins ratio. A commonly used nomogram for estimating COP from protein concentration, the Landis-Pappenheimer equ...
Normal equine ocular anatomy and eye examination. When compared with small domestic animals, the horse has unique ocular characteristics (complete bony orbit, well-developed eyelid muscles, a nasal and temporal gray limbal line, granulae iridica, paurangiotic fundus). Knowledge of normal equine ocular anatomy is essential for ocular lesion interpretation. It is important to obtain a full history and general examination before sedation, nerve blocks, or other diagnostic ophthalmic tests are performed. All ocular examinations should include a systematic evaluation of both the anterior and posterior segments. Selection of other diagnostic tests ...
Effects of blood contamination on equine peritoneal fluid analysis. Peritoneal fluid and blood was collected from 8 healthy adult horses. Four 1-ml aliquots of peritoneal fluid from each horse were then contaminated with 0 ml (normal), 0.05 ml (1 drop), 0.10 ml (2 drops), and 0.20 ml (4 drops) of blood from the same horse. Samples were analyzed for RBC count, nucleated blood cell count, total protein concentration, and nucleated cell differential count. Statistical analysis revealed no significant changes in nucleated cell number, nucleated cell differential, or total protein concentration in peritoneal samples contaminated with blood. The RBC count significan...
Idiopathic, aseptic, effusive, fibrinous, nonconstrictive pericarditis with tamponade in a standardbred filly. A Standardbred filly was admitted for evaluation of pleuritis and pneumonia. Heart rate was 80 to 120 beats/min, and the pulse was barely palpable. Thoracic and abdominal ultrasonography and echocardiography revealed substantial pericardial effusion with cardiac tamponade, fibrinous pericarditis, pleural effusion, and ascites. Initial electrocardiography revealed normal sinus rhythm with decreased amplitude of the QRS complexes consistent with pericardial effusion. Following thoracentesis, echocardiogram-guided pericardiocentesis was performed. Bacterial culture yielded no growth from any of t...
Equine lentivirus, comparative studies on four serological tests for the diagnosis of equine infectious anaemia. Serological diagnosis of equine infectious anemia is of necessity group-reactive, i.e. based on viral core protein p26, because viral envelope components as well as the host's immune response to them undergo rapid antigenic change. Since 1970 the agar gel-immunodiffusion test ("Coggins-test") has been the diagnostic method of choice. Recently, ELISA tests have been introduced for faster and theoretically more sensitive serodiagnosis, while Western blots have been used to clarify doubtful results obtained in Coggins-tests. A commercial competitive ELISA was found to give practically equivalent ...
Measurement of tracheal static pressure in exercising horses. A nasotracheal catheter for measuring tracheal static pressure in exercising horses was designed according to aerodynamic engineering principles. Small ports near the end of the catheter transmitted pressure fluctuations to the recording apparatus. Accuracy was determined by the size, number, and location of pressure sensing holes on the catheter, and by the position of the catheter in the trachea. The catheter had adequate frequency response to 33 Hz, was insensitive to movement artifacts, was easily introduced, was tolerated well by horses, and resulted in small ventilatory impairment at max...
Measurement of muscle surface capillary blood flow by laser Doppler flowmetry. Muscle surface capillary blood flow was measured in the biceps femoris and lateral head of the triceps brachii muscles in six horses before and during halothane anesthesia by using laser Doppler flowmetry. During 90 minutes of anesthesia, muscle surface capillary blood flow was reduced to 20% to 40% of preanesthetic values. Muscle surface capillary blood flow tended to be lower in dependent muscles than in nondependent muscles, and this disparity was greater in the forelimbs than in the hind limbs.
Antimicrobial susceptibility of bacterial isolates from 233 horses with musculoskeletal infection during 1979-1989. Bacterial culture and susceptibility results were analysed from 233 horses with septic arthritis/tenosynovitis or osteomyelitis that developed after fracture repair. Antibiotics were deemed highly effective, effective or ineffective if > or = 85%, 70-84.9% or < 70% of the isolates were susceptible respectively. In total, 424 bacterial types were isolated; 386 were aerobic or facultative and 38 were anaerobic. Enterobacteriaceae (28.8%) were the most common bacterial group isolated, followed by non-beta-haemolytic streptococci (13.0%), coagulase-positive staphylococci (11.8%), beta-haemol...
[B-mode, M-mode and Doppler sonographic findings in mitral valve insufficiency of horses]. B- and M-mode echocardiography was performed on 38 horses. 34 patients had systolic heart murmur with the point of maximal intensity over mitral valve. Additionally, 17 of these patients were examined with the pulsed wave doppler echocardiography (Vingmed 200). In 26 patients with cardiac murmur and in 4 patients without cardiac murmur a mitral valve insufficiency was diagnosed by echocardiography. In 8 horses with a systolic murmur over mitral valve M- and B-mode evaluation could not reveal a haemodynamic importance of the murmur. The diagnosis of MVI was based on a dilation of left atrium wi...
[Comparison of IgG determination in foals using commercially available rapid tests]. The three tests (EQUI Z-Test, AGLUTINADE FOAL IMMUNITY, CITE Foal IgG-Test) were evaluated for their accuracy and usefulness in the field. Single radial immunodiffusion was used as reference method. All tests were easily and rapid to perform and results were obtained within a few minutes. It was easy to get the results of the CITE Foal IgG-Test, but use of the EQUI Z-Test and the FOAL AGLUTINADE IMMUNITY-Test needed some practice to get correct results. Results obtained by the CITE Foal IgG-Test correlated to single radial immunodiffusion in 94%, those obtained by FOAL AGLUTINADE IMMUNITY-Test...
Immunoblot analysis of the humoral immune response to Pythium insidiosum in horses with pythiosis. Reactions to Pythium insidiosum by sera from horses with active pythiosis were investigated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and immunoblotting. Five strains of P. insidiosum were grown in nutrient broth and then sonicated. After centrifugation, supernatant antigens were separated by SDS-PAGE. An exoantigen of Conidiobolus coronatus was also tested. Bands with molecular weights between 97,000 and 14,000 were identified by Coomassie blue and silver staining. After being transferred to nitrocellulose, the antigens were reacted against sera from six horses w...
Equine herpesvirus 5: comparisons with EHV2 (equine cytomegalovirus), cloning, and mapping of a new equine herpesvirus with a novel genome structure. A new equine herpesvirus, provisionally designated equine herpesvirus 5 (EHV5; Browning and Studdert (1987) J. Gen. Virol. 68, 1441-1447), was examined for the degree of genomic difference from equine herpesvirus 2 (EHV2) by Southern hybridizations. EHV5 and EHV2 whole genomic DNA probes were highly specific for homologous DNA only, indicating that significant genomic difference exists between the two viruses. Restriction endonuclease analysis of EHV5 strain 2-141 (EHV5.2-141) revealed that the genome is 179 kb and exists as a single isomer. Clones representing 82% of the genome were obtained ...
Mesothelioma in horses. Pleural mesothelioma and pericardial mesothelioma with spread to the pleural cavity were diagnosed in 2 horses. Clinical signs included respiratory distress, depression and pleural pain. The affected body cavities contained copious, serous effusions containing very large neoplastic mesothelial cells with densely-staining cytoplasm, hyperchromic nuclei and prominent, often multiple, nucleoli. Ultrastructurally, the neoplastic cells appeared as solid aggregates, with profuse microvillous borders and neolumen formation. Cytological examination, together with confirmative ancillary diagnostic test...
Ultrasonographic and quantitative histologic assessment of sequelae to testicular biopsy in stallions. A sample of testicular parenchymal tissue, approximately 2 x 7 x 7 mm, was aseptically removed from 1 testis in each of 9 stallions on day 0. Slight to moderate hemorrhage from the tunica albuginea was observed in 8 stallions, but bleeding from the parenchyma was detected in only 2 stallions. Stallions were castrated 27 days later. Normal development of granulation tissue was evident at the biopsy site, but hematomas were not observed. In situ measurement of the widths of the right and left testes, total scrotal width, and evaluation of testicular echogenicity during ultrasonography were varia...
Diagnostic methods for African horsesickness virus using monoclonal antibodies to structural and non-structural proteins. A panel of 32 hybridoma cell lines secreting monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) reactive with African horsesickness virus serotype 4 (AHSV-4) has been developed. Four of the MAbs recognized the major core antigen VP7, twenty recognized the outer capsid protein VP2 and eight reacted with the non-structural protein NS1. With the VP7-specific MAbs a rapid and sensitive double antibody sandwich immunoassay has been developed to detect viral antigen in infected Vero cells and in spleen tissue from AHSV-infected horses. The sensitivity of the assay is 10 ng viral antigen per 100 microliters. The NS1-speci...
Fractures of the lateral malleolus of the tibia in 16 horses. Clinical and radiological features of 16 horses with fractures of the lateral malleolus of the tibia are reported. The paper describes surgical techniques used, results obtained and discusses justification for removal. Fourteen fractures were unilateral and two bilateral. There was no left:right disparity. The history included a known traumatic incident in 14 cases. All animals had a tarsocrural joint effusion and 10 had palpable thickening of the lateral collateral ligaments. Crepitus was also palpable in 10 horses. The fracture was identified in all dorsoplantar and 14 of 18 dorsomedial-plan...
Evaluation of an automated system for hemoglobin measurement in animals. In veterinary medicine, PCV determined by centrifugation of blood in a microhematocrit tube is the most common clinical test used to initially assess and monitor anemic and polycythemic animals. In contrast, blood hemoglobin (Hb) concentration, rather than PCV, is generally determined in human patients. One automated system photometrically measures blood Hb concentration after conversion of Hb to azide methemoglobin without dilution and was found to be a simple and accurate instrument for use in human medicine. We evaluated the system for its accuracy in measuring blood Hb concentration in ani...
Seroprevalence of antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi in a population of horses in central Texas. Four hundred sixty-nine serum samples were obtained from horses admitted to the internal medicine service of the Texas Veterinary Medical Center between Jan 1 and Dec 31, 1990. Serum samples were tested by ELISA for antibody to Borrelia burgdorferi. Of these 469 samples, 1 (0.2%) was repeatedly seropositive for the organism by ELISA. Confirmatory testing by protein immunoblot was negative. The observed seroprevalence was 0%; the upper bound of the 95% confidence interval was 0.6%. These findings indicate the evidence of infection with B burgdorferi is presently uncommon in horses in central Te...
Prepurchase evaluation of horses: 134 cases (1988-1990). To quantify some components of prepurchase evaluations in horses, records from 134 evaluations performed during a 2-year period were reviewed and the outcome was determined via telephone follow-up interview. Sixty-two percent of the prepurchase evaluations had been performed at the clinic and 38% had been performed in the field by the ambulatory service. All evaluations included physical and lameness examinations, whereas radiography (49%), endoscopy (15%), nerve blocking (5%), transrectal palpation (3%), hematologic analysis (2%), electrocardiography (2%), drug testing for analgesic agents (2...
Bronchoscopy of the horse. The endobronchial anatomy of 12 lung specimens from horses and 12 healthy, standing, sedated horses was evaluated, using a 200-cm-long, 9.5-mm-diameter videoendoscope. On the basis of these findings, the nomenclature system of Amis and McKiernan was modified for identification of airways of horses during bronchoscopy. Lobar bronchi are identified on the basis of the side of the bronchial tree on which they were found and the order in which they originated from the primary bronchus. Thus, RB1, RB2, and RB3 referred to right cranial lobar bronchus, respectively. On the left side, the designation...
Daily variability of equine fecal strongyle egg counts. Fecal egg counts often are used for diagnosing equine strongyle infections and estimating the number of eggs shed in the feces. An individual egg count should be interpreted in view of the normal fluctuation of egg numbers in an individual horse. In this study, the daily variability of strongyle fecal egg counts from horses was investigated. The Cornell-McMaster egg-counting technique was used to estimate the eggs per gram of feces in repeated daily fecal samples from 39 horses. The variation of the daily egg counts across 4 days was greater than would be expected if a consistent number of egg...
Removal of nasogastric tube fragments from three horses. Three horses were admitted for retrieval of polyurethane nasogastric tube fragments. The fragments were removed from the esophagus or stomach of 2 horses by manipulation of a snare introduced through the biopsy port of an endoscope. The fragments were surgically removed from the stomach of the third horse.
