Neoplasms in horses refer to abnormal tissue growths that can be benign or malignant, affecting various body systems. These growths arise from uncontrolled cellular proliferation and can occur in different forms, including tumors and cancerous lesions. Equine neoplasms can impact the skin, gastrointestinal tract, reproductive organs, and other areas, with common types including melanomas, sarcoids, and squamous cell carcinomas. Diagnosis often involves clinical examination, imaging, and histopathological analysis. Treatment and prognosis vary depending on the type, location, and stage of the neoplasm. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the etiology, diagnosis, treatment options, and outcomes associated with neoplasms in equine patients.
Pimenta J, Prada J, Pires I, Cotovio M.Equine melanomas are a common neoplasm in gray horses. However, scientific knowledge about their progression over time is quite scarce. Some owners and veterinarians still believe that early intervention is not necessary, stating that tumors evolve very slowly and intervention could worsen the animal's condition. This work aims to identify clinical and histological differences that may exist between equine melanomas with different excision intervals (time between tumor detection and surgical excision). A total of 42 tumors (13 benign and 29 malignant) from 34 horses were included in this study...
Rabelo AA, Maranhão RPA, de Miranda ALS, Ocarino NM, Amaral CI, Paes PRO, Monteiro NCC, Fantini P.A 25-year-old mixed-breed equine with separate nodular cutaneous lesions in the right thoracic limb (RTL) and right ventral abdominal region was admitted to a Veterinary Hospital in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais. Fine-needle aspiration cytology was performed on the RTL lesion and superficial cervical lymph node, and the results were suggestive of a malignant neoplasm known as myxosarcoma. Due to the unfavorable prognosis, the animal was euthanized. Based on the macroscopic and microscopic findings, the diagnosis of metastatic cutaneous myxosarcoma was confirmed. Although rare, this tumor should...
Paraschou G, Xue C, Egan R, Bolfa P.Lymphoma is a common neoplasm in horses but is reported much less commonly in donkeys. In this case report, we describe the macroscopic, microscopic and immunohistochemical features of a multicentric lymphoma with intestinal and bone marrow involvement. Methods: A geriatric female donkey with history of chronic lameness was found dead. Post-mortem examination revealed advanced emaciation, periodontal disease, left front foot laminitis and multiple, soft, white to yellow tan intestinal transmural masses, up to 12 cm in diameter. Cytology suggested a round cell intestinal neoplasm. The femur of...
Semik-Gurgul E, Gurgul A, Szmatoła T.Recent publications confirmed that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) perform an essential function in gene-specific transcription regulation. Nevertheless, despite its important role, lncRNA has not yet been described in equine sarcoids, the skin neoplasia of horses. Therefore, the aim of this study is to deepen the knowledge about lncRNA expression in the pathogenesis of equine sarcoids and provide new insight into the regulatory function of lncRNA in the bovine papillomavirus-dependent neoplasia of horse dermal tissues. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data from 12 equine sarcoid samples and the corres...
Gomes JE, Canadas-Sousa A, Guimarães T, Cunha R, Dias-Pereira P.This short communication describes a case of a 30-year-old stallion with a mass on the base of the penis causing paraphimosis. The patient was submitted to anti-inflammatory and diuretic therapy with no signs of improvement, so 16 days after the lesion was detected, the animal was euthanized. Necropsy was performed, and histopathological assessment of the lesion was conducted. The mass was composed primarily of channels and cavernous structures, lined by elongated cells of vascular origin, located in the preputium. The lesion was diagnosed as a preputial lymphangioma. To the authors' best kn...
Hayes AM, Kastl B, Perry E, Moore AR, Springer NL.Myeloma-related disorders, including multiple myeloma, extramedullary plasmacytoma, and solid osseous plasmacytoma, are rare in horses. Clinical complaints for myeloma-related disorders are nonspecific, and when present, M-protein location is more variable on protein electrophoresis in horses relative to dogs and cats. Here, we describe a case of a 15-year-old Thoroughbred mare who presented with recurrent blepharitis. Marked hyperglobulinemia was an incidental finding on routine hematologic and biochemical testing. Bone marrow aspiration consisted of >30% plasma cells, and serum protein el...
Jarry J, De Raeve Y, Dugdale A, Simon V, Vandeweerd JM.Severe ophthalmic conditions such as trauma, uveitis, corneal damage, or neoplasia can lead to eye removal surgery. Poor cosmetic appearance resulting from the sunken orbit ensues. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the feasibility of manufacturing a custom-made 3D-printed orbital implant made of biocompatible material for the enucleated horse and usable in conjunction to a corneoscleral shell. Blender, a 3D-image software, was used for prototype design. Twelve cadaver heads of adult Warmbloods were collected from the slaughterhouse. On each head, one eye was removed via a modified trans...
Barton CK, Hughes KL, Cowan C, Nout-Lomas YS, Nelson BB.A 21-year-old Quarter Horse mare presented with a chronic, progressively worsening left pelvic limb lameness of 3 weeks duration. The initial examination identified a consistent lameness at a walk. Neurological examination showed sensory and gait abnormalities consistent with left femoral nerve dysfunction. The horse minimally advanced the leg cranially and had a shortened stride length at the walk. During the stance phase, the heels of the left hind foot did not contact the ground and the horse quickly took weight off of the limb. Diagnostic imaging (ultrasound and nuclear scintigraphy) exami...
Gysens L, Martens A, Haspeslagh M.Bovine papillomavirus (BPV) types 1 and 2 are causally associated with equine sarcoid, the most common mesenchymal neoplasm of horses, but the viral load (VL) differs between lesions. Sensitive and accurate BPV detection and quantification is essential for clinicians to confirm clinical suspicion, as well as in research settings for stratifying these skin lesions. Due to the limitations of histopathology in sarcoid diagnosis, PCR screening of superficial swabs constitutes the principal sampling method for BPV detection. This study aimed to investigate the ability of superficial swabs and fine-...
Kumbhani TR, Raval SH, Parmar RS, Patel JG, Bechara VJ, Sindhi PI, Modh SP.A 6-year-old Marwari mare presented with recurrent vulvar growth. The growth was surgically excised, fixed and processed routinely. Microscopically, neoplasm showed proliferation of epithelial and myoepithelial cells with tubulopapillary pattern. On immunohistochemistry, myoepithelial cells showed strong immunoreactivity with smooth muscle actin alpha and p63. On basis of histopathology and immunohistochemistry, tumour was diagnosed as complex apocrine carcinoma. This case report describes first confirm vulvar complex apocrine carcinoma in equines.
Rissi DR, Avery AC, Burnett RC.T-cell-rich, large B-cell lymphoma (TCRLBCL) is the most commonly diagnosed type of lymphoma in horses. Here we describe the clinical signs, neuropathology, immunohistochemistry (IHC), and PCR for antigen receptor rearrangement (PARR) analysis results of a TCRLBCL in the brain of an 8-y-old male Quarter Horse that was euthanized after acute anorexia, tremors, head pressing, falling, blindness, incoordination, and seizures. Autopsy revealed a firm, smooth, pale-yellow mass that expanded both lateral ventricles and the adjacent subcortical white matter. Histologically, the mass consisted of a de...
Offer KS, Dixon CE, Sutton DGM.The sarcoid is the most common equine cutaneous neoplasm. Evidence-based treatment of this condition is often lacking, and selection of treatment modality based on clinical experience or anecdotal evidence. Objective: To assess the quality of the currently available best evidence regarding the treatment of the equine sarcoid. Methods: Systematic review. Methods: In compliance with PRISMA guidelines, literature searches were performed in PUBMED, Web of Science, CAB Abstracts, EMBASE (Ovid) and Scopus in April 2021. Included papers were required to describe an interventional study examining sarc...
Curnow B, Rich AF, Ireland J, Correa DC, Dunn J, Jenkins D, Carslake H, Ressel L.Although the equine sarcoid is the most common skin neoplasm in domesticated horses, histopathological characteristics have not previously been evaluated for association with recurrence. The aim of this retrospective cohort study was to investigate clinical and histopathological features of excised equine sarcoids and to evaluate their association with recurrence at the original surgical site and at new sites. Clinical records and excisional biopsies from 106 equine sarcoids from 64 horses referred to Leahurst Equine Hospital, University of Liverpool, between March 2010 and February 2015 were ...
Roxon C, Slack J, Bender S, Burns H, Turner R.A 12-year-old Standardbred stallion presented with a 5-month history of a growing mass in the left testis as well as an overall decrease in left testicular size. Palpation and ultrasonography of the left testis revealed a firm, hypoechoic, clearly delineated soft tissue mass in the craniolateral portion of the testis that measured 2.5 × 2.3 × 1.9 cm. Two smaller, hypoechoic regions also were visible ultrasonographically in the left testis, suggesting the presence of multifocal/multicentric neoplasia. The affected testis was very small (testicular volume of 40.3 cm). The right testis was ...
Drozdzewska K, Gehlen H.The diagnosis of internal neoplasia in horses is challenging. Increased production of hormones physiologic for adult animals (e.g., adrenocorticotropin, norepinephrine, and erythropoietin) or typical for the foetal phase (alpha-fetoprotein, anti-Müllerian hormone, and parathyroid-hormone-related protein) might aid in tumour diagnostics. Thymidine kinase-1 and alkaline phosphatase are examples of intracellular enzymes, whose activity in the blood may increase in some neoplasia cases. Furthermore, inappropriate production of abnormal monoclonal or autologous antibodies can accompany lymphoma an...
Daraban Bocaneti F, Altamura G, Corteggio A, Tanase OI, Dascalu MA, Pasca SA, Hritcu O, Mares M, Borzacchiello G.Bovine papillomaviruses -1/-2 (BPVs) are small non-enveloped double-stranded DNA viruses able to infect the skin of bovids and equids, causing development of neoplastic lesions such as bovine cutaneous fibropapillomas and equine sarcoid. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a group of zinc-dependent endopeptidases that degrade basal membrane and extracellular matrix, whose function is essential in physiological processes such as tissue remodeling and wound healing. MMPs activity is finely regulated by a balancing with expression of tissue inhibitors of MMPs (TIMPs), a process that is impaired ...
Palmisano M, Bender S, Johnson AL.We describe the unique clinical presentation of a central nervous system neoplasm in a 6-month-old draft horse cross gelding. Based on the neurologic examination at admission, neurolocalization was most consistent with a mildly asymmetric cervical, multifocal, or diffuse myelopathy. Mild vestibular involvement also was considered, but no cranial nerve deficits were observed. The gelding was negative for Sarcocystis neurona or Neospora hughesi based on paired serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples analyzed, with no evidence of cervical compression based on contrast myelography. The horse w...
Stefanik E, Górski K, Turek B, Drewnowska-Szczepakowska O, Kliczkowska-Klarowicz K, Stefanik A.Melanomas in horses are most often associated with gray, older horses with an average age of over 16 years. Anaplastic malignant melanoma, however, can very rarely affect non-gray horses. Herein, we report a case of a 16-year-old Wielkopolski gelding with a chronic lameness caused by a mass in the hoof. The first resection of the lesion and histopathological examination confirmed the presence of a keratoma. The regrown mass and persistent lameness resulted in another mass resection. The second histopathological examination result suggested a neoplastic growth of melanocytic origin with a low h...
Hollis AR.Sarcoids are the most common cutaneous neoplasm of the horse, arising as a result of a neoplastic proliferation of fibroblasts associated with infection with bovine papillomavirus, most notably types 1 and 2. Although they do not metastasise, they are locally invasive and aggressive, and can lead to important welfare concerns, interfere with tack and therefore impede athleticism, and undoubtedly lead to a reduction in the value of affected horses. This review discusses the evidence behind the most commonly used treatments for equine sarcoids. The most commonly used treatments are discussed. No...
Munday JS, Knight CG, Luff JA.Papillomaviruses (PVs) are well recognized to cause pre-neoplastic and neoplastic diseases in humans. Similarly, there is increasing evidence that PVs play a significant role in the development of pre-neoplastic and neoplastic diseases of the haired skin of dogs and cats, and the mucosa of horses. As the mechanisms by which PVs cause neoplasia are well studied in humans, it is valuable to compare the PV-induced neoplasms of humans with similar PV-associated neoplasms in the companion animal species. In the second part of this comparative review, the pre-neoplastic and neoplastic diseases thoug...
Nelissen S, Miller AD.Granulosa cell tumors (GCTs) are common ovarian neoplasms in the mare and bitch that can be challenging to diagnose on histopathology. Inhibin has long been the standard immunohistochemical (IHC) marker for GCTs; however, anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) has not been evaluated widely as an IHC marker in the bitch and mare. We compared the efficacy of AMH and inhibin as IHC markers in canine and equine GCTs. We selected retrospectively 18 equine and 15 canine cases. All equine tumors were dominated by a cystic pattern; canine tumors often had solid patterns. Both inhibin and AMH had similar puncta...
Biegel U, Mevissen M, Schuller S, Ruess K, Christen O, Ayrle H, Koch C, Walkenhorst M.Cancer is a common disease in humans and in companion animals and treatment is challenging. The aim of this systematic review was to identify and assess the potential use of Viscum album L. extracts (VAE) for treatment of neoplastic diseases in companion animals. Peer-reviewed animal, in vivo and in vitro studies were included, considering the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement and A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR). Overall, 6,148 references were identified. Following a predefined protocol, 114 full-text references were ...
Maggi R, Mudimba D, Marruchella G.A 11-year-old, Haflinger breed mare developed a slowly growing mass, protruding on the ventral aspect of the mandible. On palpation, the lesion was pedunculated, very firm, cold and not painful. Radiographic examinations showed a radiopaque, multi-lobular, "mushroom-like" lesion, which arose from the mandibular cortex without involving the bone marrow cavity. Thereafter, the mass was excised for cosmetic purposes. Microscopically, the lesion mainly consisted of bone trabeculae, covered by a thick layer of connective tissue resembling the periosteum. History and clinical findings allowed the te...
Pawlina-Tyszko K, Semik-Gurgul E, Ząbek T, Witkowski M.Horses are of great importance in recreation, livestock production, as working animals in poorly developed countries, and for equine-assisted therapy. Equine sarcoids belong to the most commonly diagnosed tumors in this species. They may cause discomfort, pain, and can lead to the permanent impairment of motor function. The molecular bases of their formation are still under investigation. Our previous studies revealed altered microRNA (miRNA) expression and DNA methylation levels in sarcoid tumors. Abnormal patterns of methylation may be responsible for changes in gene expression levels, inclu...
Podstawski P, Ropka-Molik K, Semik-Gurgul E, Samiec M, Skrzyszowska M, Podstawski Z, Szmatoła T, Witkowski M, Pawlina-Tyszko K.An important component of tissues is the extracellular matrix (ECM), which not only forms a tissue scaffold, but also provides the environment for numerous biochemical reactions. Its composition is strictly regulated, and any irregularities can result in the development of many diseases, including cancer. Sarcoid is the most common skin cancer in equids. Its formation results from the presence of the genetic material of the bovine papillomavirus (BPV). In addition, it is assumed that sarcoid-dependent oncogenic transformation arises from a disturbed wound healing process, which may be due to t...
Malek G, Leclere M, Masseau I, Zur Linden A, Beauchamp G, Finck C.Published studies describing the effects of bilateral radiographic projections on the detection of equine pulmonary lesions are currently lacking. The objectives of this retrospective, single center, observational study were to compare unilateral and bilateral thoracic radiographic projections for the detection of pulmonary lesions in a group of horses. Based on their clinical diagnosis, 167 adults and foals with bilateral thoracic radiographs were classified as having pneumonia (n = 88), inflammatory or diffuse pulmonary disease (n = 72), and pulmonary masses (n = 7). After an initial i...
Podstawski P, Ropka-Molik K, Semik-Gurgul E, Samiec M, Skrzyszowska M, Podstawski Z, Szmatoła T, Witkowski M, Pawlina-Tyszko K.Matrix metalloproteinases (s) represent a family of enzymes capable of biocatalytically breaking down the structural and functional proteins responsible for extracellular matrix (ECM) integrity. This capability is widely used in physiological processes; however, imbalanced MMP activity can trigger the onset and progression of various pathological changes, including the neoplasmic transformation of different cell types. We sought to uncover molecular mechanisms underlying alterations in transcriptional profiles of genes coding for s, which were comprehensively identified in equine adult dermal ...
Nagel H, Lang H, Sole Guitart A, Lean N, Allavena R, Sprohnle-Barrera C, Young A.This case series presents a 20-year-old Quarter horse gelding and a 10-year-old Thoroughbred gelding with a histologic diagnosis of aggressive submural neoplasia, including an anaplastic sarcoma and a squamous cell carcinoma respectively. The current case series describes these neoplasias with radiography, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and histopathology with immunohistochemistry. The purpose of this case series is to identify the clinical pattern of chronic reoccurring lameness in these cases and highlight the appearance of expansile osteolytic pathology of the distal phalan...
Tesena P, Kingkaw A, Phaonakrop N, Roytrakul S, Limudomporn P, Vongsangnak W, Kovitvadhi A.Equine melanocytic neoplasm (EMN) is a common disease in older grey horses. The purpose of this study was to examine the potential proteins throughout EMN stages from faecal proteomic outlining using functional analysis. Faecal samples were collected from the rectum of 25 grey horses divided into three groups; normal group without EMN ( = 10), mild EMN ( = 6) and severe EMN ( = 9). Based on the results, 5910 annotated proteins out of 8509 total proteins were assessed from proteomic profiling. We observed differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) between the normal group and the EMN group, and 1...
Podstawski P, Samiec M, Skrzyszowska M, Szmatoła T, Semik-Gurgul E, Ropka-Molik K.The equine sarcoid is one of the most common neoplasias in the family. Despite the association of this tumor with the presence of bovine papillomavirus (BPV), the molecular mechanism of this lesion has not been fully understood. The transgenization of equine adult cutaneous fibroblast cells (ACFCs) was accomplished by nucleofection, followed by detection of molecular modifications using high-throughput NGS transcriptome sequencing. The results of the present study confirm that - and -mediated nucleofection strategy significantly affected the transcriptomic alterations, leading to sarcoid-like...
Lunardi M, de Alcântara BK, Otonel RA, Rodrigues WB, Alfieri AF, Alfieri AA.Equine sarcoids are locally aggressive fibroblastic neoplasms considered to be the most common skin tumors of horses worldwide. Bovine papillomavirus types 1 and 2 have typically been associated with sarcoids in equids. Investigations aiming to identify papillomavirus strains, aside from bovine papillomaviruses 1 and 2, which might be associated with sarcoid lesions, have been lacking. The aim of this article is to report the identification of a third bovine papillomavirus type, bovine papillomavirus 13, associated with equine sarcoids. Six sarcoid lesions were collected from diverse anatomica...
Durham AC, Pillitteri CA, San Myint M, Valli VE.Lymphoma is the most common malignant neoplasm in the horse. Single case reports and small retrospective studies of equine lymphomas are reported infrequently in the literature. A wide range of clinical presentations, tumor subtypes, and outcomes have been described, and the diversity of the results demonstrates the need to better define lymphomas in horses. As part of an initiative of the Veterinary Cooperative Oncology Group, 203 cases of equine lymphoma have been gathered from 8 institutions. Hematoxylin and eosin slides from each case were reviewed and 187 cases were immunophenotyped and c...
Sundberg JP, Burnstein T, Page EH, Kirkham WW, Robinson FR.In a retrospective study of neoplasms in Equidae pre;ented to the Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, Purdue University, from Jan 1, 1970, to Dec 31, 1974, data were compiled on numbers and anatomic sites of neoplasms as well as on age, sex, and breed of subjects from which the neoplasms were taken. During this 5-year period, 21 neoplasms were diagnosed from 687 equine necropsies (3.1%) and 215 from 635 biopsies (33.9%), totaling 236 neoplasms from 1,322 cases (17.9%). The most common neoplasms were sarcoids (43.6%) and squamous cell carcinomas (24.6%). Papillomas (5.5%), nerve sheath tumors...
Miller MA, Moore GE, Bertin FR, Kritchevsky JE.Postmortem findings in 241 equids admitted to a teaching hospital that were at least 15 years old at autopsy were reviewed (1) to determine disease prevalence, (2) to compare the cause of death (or euthanasia) in equids 15 to 19 years of age (n = 116) with that in equids ≥20 years of age (n = 125), and (3) to catalog coexisting lesions in equids with pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID). Breed and sex were evenly distributed between the age groups. Death or euthanasia was attributed to disease of the digestive system (41.5%), pituitary gland (12.9%), locomotor system (10.0%), nervous...
Carr EA, Théon AP, Madewell BR, Griffey SM, Hitchcock ME.To determine the incidence of bovine papillomavirus (BPV) type 1 or 2 in sarcoids and other samples of cutaneous tissues collected from horses in the western United States. Methods: 55 horses with sarcoids and 12 horses without sarcoids. Methods: Tissue samples (tumor and normal skin from horses with sarcoids and normal skin, papillomas, and nonsarcoid cutaneous neoplasms from horses without sarcoids) were collected. Tissue samples were analyzed for BPV-1 or -2 DNA, using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and restriction fragment length polymorphism. The PCR products from 7 sarcoid-affected ho...
Valentine BA.A retrospective study examined data regarding equine cutaneous and mucocutaneous neoplasms submitted to the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at Oregon State University in a 3.5-year period. A total of 536 neoplasms were identified, accounting for 30% of the total equine pathology submissions. Sarcoid, squamous cell carcinoma, melanocytic tumors, papillomas, and mast cell tumors were the most common neoplasms, constituting 87.5% of all cutaneous neoplasms. Sarcoids represented 51.4% of all neoplasms and 15.18% of total equine accessions. Sarcoid was most common in paints, quarter horses, and Ar...
Hayes HM, Priester WA, Pendergrass TW.From 11 North American veterinary university hospitals and clinics, 248 animals were a confirmed diagnosis of nervous-tissue tumor were identified; 7 tumors were found in cattle, 28 in horses, 14 in cats, 199 in dogs, and none in other species. Tumors were divided for analysis into three categories-glial, meningeal, and peripheral nerve. In cattle and horses, all tumors involved peripheral nerves, the risk of which, in horses, reached a plateau at 4-6 years of age and remained constant thereafter. In cats, the tumors were equally distributed among the three tumor categories whereas, in dogs, t...
Knowles EJ, Tremaine WH, Pearson GR, Mair TS.Survey data on equine tumours are sparse compared with other species and may have changed over time. Objective: To describe the most frequently diagnosed equine tumours recorded by a diagnostic pathology laboratory over 29 years, to identify background factors associated with tumour type, and to identify any changes in the tumours diagnosed or the background of cases submitted during the study period. Methods: Observational; cross-sectional analysis of records of a diagnostic pathology laboratory. Methods: The records of all neoplastic equine histology submissions to the University of Bristol ...
van der Weyden L, Brenn T, Patton EE, Wood GA, Adams DJ.In contrast to other cancer types, melanoma incidence has been increasing over the last 50 years, and while it still represents less than 5% of all cutaneous malignancies, melanoma accounts for the majority of skin cancer deaths, due to its propensity to metastasise. Whilst melanoma most commonly affects the skin, it can also arise in mucosal surfaces, the eye, and the brain. For new therapies to be developed, a better understanding of the genetic landscape, signalling pathways, and tumour-microenvironmental interactions is needed. This is where animal models are of critical importance. The ...
Labelle P, De Cock HE.Although metastases to the adrenals are common in humans, they have not been thoroughly studied in animals. The purpose of this retrospective study was to document the types of malignant tumors that metastasize to canine, feline, equine, and bovine adrenals, and the rate at which they do so. The average rate of adrenal involvement in metastatic cancer was 112/534 (21.0%) in dogs, 12/81 (14.8%) in cats, 18/67 (26.9%) in horses, and 5/16 (31.3%) in cattle. In dogs, 26 different tumor types metastasized to the adrenals. Pulmonary, mammary, prostatic, gastric, and pancreatic carcinomas, and melano...
Equine sarcoids are benign fibroblastic skin tumours that are recognized throughout the world. Infection with bovine papillomavirus (BPV) types 1 and 2 has been implicated as a major factor in disease development; however, the cellular mechanisms underlying fibroblast transformation remain poorly defined. The present study further characterizes aspects of the association with BPV in 15 equine sarcoids. BPV DNA was demonstrated in 12/15 tumours collected from different areas of Italy. Nine of these 12 tumours expressed the BPV oncoproteins E5 and E7, but these oncoproteins were not expressed by...
Ding Q, Bramble L, Yuzbasiyan-Gurkan V, Bell T, Meek K.Previously, spontaneous genetic immunodeficiencies in mice, Arabian foals, and recently in Jack Russell terriers have been ascribed to defects in DNA-PKcs (catalytic subunit of the DNA dependent protein kinase) expression. In severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) foals, a 5 bp deletion at codon 9480 results in a frameshift and a 967 amino acid deletion from the C terminus (including the entire PI3 kinase domain) and an unstable mutant protein. In SCID mice, a single base pair mutation results in a premature stop codon and deletion of 83 amino acids; as in SCID foals, the mutant protein is un...
van den Top JG, de Heer N, Klein WR, Ensink JM.The most common penile and preputial neoplasm in the horse is the squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), but no large surveys of treatment and effects of the grade of the tumour, based on the degree of differentiation, on outcome of affected horses are available. Objective: Analysis of treatment of male horses affected with SCC of the external genitalia and long-term results of treatment. Methods: Seventy-seven cases of SCC were evaluated. Data recorded included treatment, outcome, post operative histopathology and retrospective tumour grading. Results: Treatments included: cryosurgery, excision, part...
Schöniger S, Summers BA.In humans, neurofibroma and schwannoma are distinct entities within the group of benign peripheral nerve sheath tumors. In the veterinary literature, these tumors are often classified together simply as benign peripheral nerve sheath tumors, and diagnostic criteria for their subclassification are not well established. We describe peripheral nerve sheath tumors with microscopic, immunohistologic, and ultrastructural features similar to those in subtypes of human neurofibroma in 12 dogs, 2 horses, and 1 chicken. Dogs were of different breeds and were aged 2 months to 15 years. The canine tumors ...
Bergvall KE.Sarcoids are the most common skin tumors seen in horses worldwide. The pathogenesis of sarcoids is multifactorial, including an association with bovine papillomavirus types 1 and 2 and a genetic susceptibility to tumor development. Clinical manifestations vary and include occult, verrucous, nodular, fibroblastic, mixed, and malignant (malevolent) types. The tumor is nonmetastasizing but can become very aggressive locally. Multiple tumors are common. All clinical types can be present in the same horse. No treatment protocol is universally effective. The tumor has a high risk of recurrence. Recu...
Martano M, Corteggio A, Restucci B, De Biase ME, Borzacchiello G, Maiolino P.Equine sarcoids are locally invasive, fibroblastic benign skin tumors. Bovine papillomavirus type-1 (BPV-1) and/or Bovine papillomavirus type-2 (BPV-2) are believed to be the causative agent of sarcoids, although the mechanisms by which the virus induce the tumor are still poorly understood. We hypothesized that in genetically predisposed equines latent BPV infection may be reactivated by immunosoppression and/or mechanical injury leading to a form of pathologic wound which may transform into a sarcoid. In this study, we investigated in 25 equine sarcoids and in five normal skin samples the hi...
Van Den Top JG, Ensink JM, Gröne A, Klein WR, Barneveld A, Van Weeren PR.Penile and preputial tumours are not uncommon in the horse, but can cause discomfort and lead to serious complications. Several types of tumour of the male external genitalia have been described. The most common type is the squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), which is found mainly in older horses. Reports of a breed predilection for penile tumour formation are equivocal, but castration, coat colour, poor hygiene and various infectious agents have all been suggested to predispose to the development of some types of tumour (e.g. SCC, papilloma and melanoma). Careful assessment of the primary tumour i...
Pawlina K, Gurgul A, Szmatoła T, Koch C, Mählmann K, Witkowski M, Bugno-Poniewierska M.Equine sarcoids are the most common neoplasms occurring in horses. Despite frequent occurrence, they are still not well described at the molecular level. Thus, in the present study, we performed a comprehensive comparative analysis of sarcoid miRNAome profile to identify aberrantly expressed microRNAs, along with their structural variants, potentially useful as biomarkers and, in a wider perspective, broaden the knowledge about this tumor and underlying mechanisms. To this end, we conducted next generation sequencing and as a result we identified both known and potentially novel miRNAs. Differ...
Kelley LC, Mahaffey EA.Gross lesions, microscopic appearance, and immunophenotyping are reported in a retrospective study of 31 cases of equine malignant lymphoma. Immunohistochemical studies were performed on archived formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues. Monoclonal antibodies to surface glycoprotein BLA.36 and intracytoplasmic domains of mb-1 and B29 were used to document the presence of B lymphocytes in the equine tumors. Polyclonal antibody to CD3 and monoclonal antibodies to T-lymphocyte markers CD3 and CD5 revealed the presence of variable numbers of T cells within the equine lymphomas. The neoplastic com...
Taylor SD, Haldorson GJ, Vaughan B, Pusterla N.Gastric neoplasia of horses is incompletely described. Objective: Provide history, clinical signs, and clinicopathological and pathological findings associated with gastric neoplasia in horses. Methods: Twenty-four horses with gastric neoplasia. Methods: Retrospective study. History, clinical signs, and clinicopathological and pathologic findings in horses diagnosed histologically with gastric neoplasia were reviewed. Results: Horses ranged in age from 9 to 25 years (median 18 years at presentation). There was no apparent breed or sex predisposition. The most common presenting complaints were ...
Murray DR, Ladds PW, Campbell RS.Lesions encountered in a clinicopathological study of cutaneous lesions resembling 'swamp cancer' from horses in North Queensland included 37 cases of subcutaneous phycomycosis, 5 of which were also infected with Habronema sp larvae. In addition 9 cases of primary cutaneous habronemiasis, 58 sarcoids, 12 fibromas, 8 fibrosarcomas, 10 squamous cell carcinomas, 4 haemangiomas, 3 melanomas, 1 papilloma, 1 palpebral adenocarcinoma and 7 cases of simple granulation were diagnosed. Subcutaneous phycomycosis resulted in the most extensive lesions. These were rapidly growing and provided the poorest p...
Borzacchiello G, Mogavero S, De Vita G, Roperto S, Della Salda L, Roperto F.The equine sarcoid is the most common dermatologic neoplasm reported in horses. Bovine papillomavirus (BPV) types 1 and 2 are associated with sarcoids, in which the expression of the major transforming oncoprotein (E5) is often recorded. The transformation activity of the virus is due to the binding of the E5 to the platelet-derived growth factor beta receptor (PDGFbeta-r). In the present study, we show by Western blot in 4 sarcoid samples and 3 normal equine skin samples that the PDGFbeta-r is more phosphorylated in sarcoid tissue than in normal skin (P < .001). Furthermore, the physical i...
Pitel PH, Romand S, Pronost S, Foucher N, Gargala G, Maillard K, Thulliez P, Collobert-Laugier C, Tainturier D, Fortier G, Ballet JJ.Neospora caninum, an apicomplexan protozoan parasite, is recognized as a major cause of abortion in cattle while limited information is presently available on association between equine Neospora infections and abortions. The aim of the present study was to document prevalence of antibodies against Neospora sp. in aborted mares as a clue to the role of N. caninum in mare reproductive failure in Normandy, France. Using an agglutination test, the number of animals with elevated (>80) anti-Neospora sp. antibody titer was higher in a group of 54 aborted mares than in randomly chosen groups of 45 ma...
Alloway E, Linder K, May S, Rose T, DeLay J, Bender S, Tucker A, Luff J.Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the most common neoplasm of the equine stomach. However, the mechanisms underlying malignant transformation are unknown. As papillomavirus-2 (EcPV-2) is a likely cause of some genital SCCs, we hypothesized that EcPV-2 is associated with a subset of equine gastric SCCs. To this aim, we performed polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and in situ hybridization (ISH) for EcPV-2 E6/ E7 oncogenes on 11 gastric SCCs and on gastric samples from 15 control horses with no SCC. PCR for EcPV-2 was positive in 7/11 (64%) gastric SCCs; non-SCC gastric samples were all negative. I...
Pascoe RR, Summers PM.The results of a retrospective survey of tumours and tumour-like lesions encountered in horses in a veterinary practice in south east Queensland between 1956 and 1978 are presented. Forty-two per cent of the lesions were examined histologically. The most commonly occurring neoplasms were the equine sarcoid, papilloma and squamous cell carcinoma of the eye and external genitalia. Neurofibroma was an important problem in the eyelid region. Intra-abdominal tumours were rarely encountered in this series.
Ramos-Vara JA, Frank CB, DuSold D, Miller MA.The immunoreactivity of PNL2, Melan A, and protein gene product (PGP) 9.5 was compared with that of S100 protein in 50 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded equine melanocytic neoplasms. PNL2, PGP 9.5, and S100 protein were detected in all 50 neoplasms; none expressed Melan A. PNL2 was not expressed in 62 nonmelanocytic tumors (equine sarcoids, schwannomas, carcinomas, sarcomas, endocrine tumors, sex-cord stromal tumors, germ cell tumors, and leukocytic tumors) or in normal tissues other than epidermis. In summary, antibody PNL2 is a sensitive marker of equine melanocytic neoplasms and is more spe...
Tyler CM, Davis RE, Begg AP, Hutchins DR, Hodgson DR.Case records of 450 horses with signs of neurological disease are reviewed. One hundred and nineteen horses with neurological disease due to trauma were examined, of which 60 were due to spinal cord trauma, 47 to brain or cranial nerve trauma and 12 to peripheral nerve trauma. Cervical vertebral fractures/trauma were the most common injury. Basisphenoid/basioccipital bone fractures were the most common form of cranial trauma and facial nerve paralysis the most common cranial nerve injury. Eighty-nine horses with neurological disease due to malformation were examined. Cervical vertebral malform...
Haralambus R, Burgstaller J, Klukowska-Rötzler J, Steinborn R, Buchinger S, Gerber V, Brandt S.Sarcoids are nonmetastasising, yet locally aggressive skin tumours that constitute the most frequent neoplasm in equids. Infection by bovine papillomaviruses types 1 and 2 (BPV-1, BPV-2) has been recognised as major causative factor in sarcoid pathogenesis, but a possible correlation of intralesional virus load with disease severity has not been established thus far. Objective: Given the pathogenic role of BPV-1 and BPV-2 in sarcoid disease, we suggest that intralesional viral DNA concentration may reflect the degree of affection. Methods: Severity of disease was addressed by recording the tum...
van der Kolk JH, Kalsbeek HC, van Garderen E, Wensing T, Breukink HJ.The records of 21 horses with an adenoma of the pars intermedia of the pituitary gland were reviewed. The animals comprised nine Dutch warmblood horses and 12 ponies. They ranged in age from 12 to 30 years (mean +/- sem 21 +/- 1.3 years) for 20 of the horses, and comprised 13 geldings and eight mares. All the animals showed hirsutism. In 1991, nine horses were diagnosed as having the adenoma, equivalent to 0.5 per cent of the horses examined in 1991. The mean +/- sem survival time of four of the horses (from discharge to the development of complications which required euthanasia) was 192 +/- 5...
Mair TS, Walmsley JP, Phillips TJ.The medical records of 45 horses treated for suspected squamous cell carcinoma of the penis and/or prepuce were reviewed. The age of 40 horses was known, and these had a mean age of 17.4 years. The duration of neoplasia was known for only 3 of the 45 horses. The results of histological evaluation of lesions, available for 35 horses, confirmed that the diseased tissue was squamous cell carcinoma. The location of gross neoplastic lesions was recorded for 43 horses; the glans penis was involved in 24 horses, the body of the penis or the inner lamina of the preputial fold in 27 horses, and the ext...
