The equine lymphatic system is an integral component of a horse's circulatory and immune systems, responsible for the transport of lymph fluid, which contains white blood cells and other immune-related substances. It facilitates the removal of waste products, excess fluids, and pathogens from tissues, maintaining fluid balance and contributing to immune defense mechanisms. The lymphatic system in horses includes lymph nodes, lymph vessels, and lymphoid tissues, each playing distinct roles in immune surveillance and response. Research in this area explores the anatomy, function, and disorders of the lymphatic system in horses, as well as its involvement in conditions such as lymphedema and lymphangitis. This page collates peer-reviewed studies and scholarly articles focusing on the structure, function, and clinical implications of the lymphatic system in equine health.
Platt H.A series of 9 cases of primary diffuse alimentary lymphoma of the equine small intestine is described. Clinically, the principal effects were attributable to malabsorption and disordered alimentary function and several cases had severe anaemia; in four this was of the haemolytic type. Hypoalbuminaemia and elevated gamma globulin levels were often present. The neoplasms were confined mainly to the small intestine and mesenteric lymph nodes, sometimes with some involvement of other lymph nodes as well. The large bowel was affected in one horse, but none of the cases showed detectable invasion of...
Mueller RS, Jensen-Jarolim E, Roth-Walter F, Marti E, Janda J, Seida AA, DeBoer D.In human patients with seasonal allergic rhinoconjunctivitis sensitized to grass pollen, the first successful allergen immunotherapy (AIT) was reported in 1911. Today, immunotherapy is an accepted treatment for allergic asthma, allergic rhinitis and hypersensitivities to insect venom. AIT is also used for atopic dermatitis and recently for food allergy. Subcutaneous, epicutaneous, intralymphatic, oral and sublingual protocols of AIT exist. In animals, most data are available in dogs where subcutaneous AIT is an accepted treatment for atopic dermatitis. Initiating a regulatory response and a pr...
Guseĭnov TS.The investigation was performed on 35 corpses of men, 8 corpses of cats, 7--of pigs and 5--of horses. The following methods were used: polychrome injection of arteries, veins, lymph capillaries and vessels, macro-microdissection, staining after van Gieson and with hematoxylin-eosin, impregnation with 0,25--1% solution of silver nitrate, dehydration and clearing, calculation of thickness of loops per 1 mm2 and their depth by means of ocular micrometer. The lymphatic bed of the serous membrane was established to be better developed in representatives of carnivora (cats) and omnivora (pigs), than...
Katkiewicz M, Witkowski L, Kita J.The aim of this study was to investigate the structure of lymphatic organs in foals which died due to Rhodococcus equi infection. The material for this study consisted of 9 foals, of both genders, various breeds, 6-14 weeks old. The routine histopathological examination and immunocytochemical reaction for cytokeratine-3 receptors revealed the disturbances in the thymus epithelial cells development. This was manifested by a complete lack of cells expressing cytokeratine-3 receptors, as well as absence of normal thymocytes differentiation. The supposed thymus epithelial cells were very few, expr...
McCalla TL, Moore CP, Collier LL.A 5-year-old Pony of America mare was referred for evaluation of inflamed upper and lower right eyelids. Squamous cell carcinoma of the eyelids and ulcerative keratitis secondary to self-trauma were diagnosed. Initial treatment of the eyelid neoplasia with 2 applications of cryotherapy failed to resolve the lesions, and immunotherapy with bacillus of Calmette-Guerin (BCG) was instituted. Multiple injections of BCG over a 17-week period resulted in progressive shrinkage of the tumor mass, but regional metastasis to the ipsilateral submandibular lymph node occurred. Six months later, ocular neop...
Wohlsein P, Pohlenz JF, Salt JS, Hamblin C.African horse sickness virus (AHSV) antigen was demonstrated immunohistochemically in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded sections of tissues collected from three ponies suffering from the peracute form of the disease and from one pony affected by the fever form. The pattern of the antigen distribution indicated a particular organ tropism characterised by an accumulation of AHSV antigen in cardio-pulmonary tissues of the animals with the peracute disease and in the spleen of the pony with the fever form. AHSV antigen was identified in endothelial cells of small blood vessels, particularly capill...
Muderspach ND, Troedsson MHT, Ferreira-Dias G, Agerholm JS, Christoffersen M.Equine endometrial degeneration is diagnosed by microscopy of an endometrial biopsy but it is uncertain if findings in a single biopsy represent the state of the entire endometrium. Previous studies have compared samples from multiple sites but conclusions are inconsistent. Further clarification is therefore needed. In this study, presence and characteristics of endometrial degeneration were compared in two full thickness specimens from the ventral base of both uterine horns, obtained post mortem from cyclic mares (n = 82). Hematoxylin and eosin-stained sections were blinded evaluated for pe...
Carpenter AL, Townsend KS, Johnson PJ, Kim DY.An 8-y-old National Show Horse mare was presented for evaluation of pneumonia and laminitis. Harsh bronchovesicular sounds were auscultated throughout both lung fields, and the mare had signs of moderately painful laminitis. Thoracic ultrasonography revealed lung consolidation throughout the dorsal aspect of both lungs, and radiography revealed an extensive diffuse-to-patchy bronchointerstitial lung pattern. The mare's clinical condition rapidly deteriorated, and euthanasia was elected. On postmortem examination, the lungs, omentum, spleen, liver, adrenal glands, kidneys, and femur contained 0...
Schmoldt A, Benthe HF, Haberland G, Tarentino AL, Maley F, Berkmen YM, Lande A, Fine JM, Lambin P, Derycke C, North ML, Chataing B, Goudemand M.The chest roentgenographic findings in Takayasu's arteritis include widening of the ascending aorta, contour irregularities of the descending aorta, arotic calcifications, pulmonary arterial changes, rib notching, and hilar lymphadenopathy. The single most important diagnostic sign is a segmental calcification outlining a localized or diffuse narrowing of the aorta. The other signs may be suspicious or suggestive, but the diagnostic accuracy increases when several findings are present simultaneously. A routine screening of monoclonal gammopathies (M.G.) was performed in the serum from 36, 015 ...
Martínez-Bartolomé I, Masot J, Serres C.Kenney-Doig scale is considered the international standard method for classifying uterine biopsies in mares; however, its objectivity has been questioned by various studies. In the present study, we analysed the degree of agreement between two pathologists when assessing the same set of 201 uterine biopsies, obtaining a slight to moderate level of agreement (κ = .34/κ = .57). Subsequently, we developed a numerical scale based on the evaluation of histological parameters, including inflammation, fibrosis, glandular density and lymphatic lacunae. Partial scores were summed to obtain a ...
Huang X, Deng R, Huang H, Xie H, Chen A.This case report detailed a rare co-infection of and in a 9-year-old warmblood mare, leading to severe cellulitis and secondary lymphangitis following traditional hoof blood-letting therapy. The mare exhibited acute limb swelling, fever, cutaneous ulceration, lymphatic dysfunction and unknown anemia. Comprehensive diagnostics, including bacterial culture, whole-genome sequencing, anti-elastin antibody (AEAb) ELISA, and diagnostic imaging, confirmed the pathogens causing cellulitis and secondary lymphangitis. AEAb levels were elevated, correlating with lymphatic degradation, while radiography...
