Tumors in horses are abnormal growths of tissue that result from uncontrolled cell division. They can be benign or malignant and may affect various tissues and organs within the equine body. Common types of tumors in horses include sarcoids, melanomas, and squamous cell carcinomas. The presence and progression of tumors can impact a horse's health, performance, and quality of life. Diagnosis often involves clinical examination, imaging techniques, and histopathological analysis. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the types, diagnosis, treatment options, and prognostic factors associated with tumors in equine medicine.
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...
Phillips JC, Lembcke LM.Melanomas are among the most common skin tumors in horses, with prevalence rates reaching as high as 80% in adult gray horses. Most melanocytic tumors are benign at initial presentation; however, if left untreated, up to two-thirds can progress to overt malignant behavior. Standard local treatment options can be used to treat solitary early-stage lesions but do not address the underlying risk of recurrent tumor formation or the transformation to a malignant phenotype. An understanding of the specific molecular genetic factors associated with tumor formation should lead to targeted therapies th...
Théon AP, Pusterla N, Magdesian KG, Wittenburg L, Marmulak T, Wilson WD.The efficacy and biosafety of a previously established tolerable dosage of doxorubicin have not been established in horses. Objective: To provide preliminary evidence of the efficacy of doxorubicin in tumor-bearing horses, explore drug pharmacokinetics profile, and estimate period of risk of exposure to drug residues. Methods: Twelve horses with 37 tumors. Methods: Treatment protocol included 6 treatments at 3-week intervals. Eight horses were uniformly treated at a dosage of 70 mg/m(2) and 4 horses received 4 of 6 treatment cycles at 70 mg/m(2) . Clinical signs, tumor responses, and toxicoses...
Seltenhammer MH, Sundström E, Meisslitzer-Ruppitsch C, Cejka P, Kosiuk J, Neumüller J, Almeder M, Majdic O, Steinberger P, Losert UM, Stöckl J....The Grey horse phenotype, caused by a 4.6 kb duplication in Syntaxin 17, is strongly associated with high incidence of melanoma. In contrast to most human melanomas with an early onset of metastasis, the Grey horse melanomas have an extended period of benign growth, after which 50% or more eventually undergo progression and may metastasize. In efforts to define changes occurring during Grey horse melanoma progression, we established an in vitro model comprised of two cell lines, HoMel-L1 and HoMel-A1, representing a primary and a metastatic stage of the melanoma, respectively. The cell lines ...
Halse S, Pizzirani S, Parry NM, Burgess KE.A 3-year-old Marwari mare was presented for evaluation of an irregular, reddish mass protruding from behind the right third eyelid. The mass appeared to arise at the ventral limbal area, involved the perilimbal bulbar conjunctiva and widely extended into corneal tissue. No other ocular or systemic abnormalities were detected at the time of presentation. The mass was surgically removed by lamellar keratectomy, with defocused CO(2) laser used as adjunctive therapy to treat the surgical exposed area and its surroundings. Histopathologic evaluation showed sheets of densely packed, well-differentia...
Théon AP, Pusterla N, Magdesian KG, Wilson WD.There is no information on the use of doxorubicin in horses with tumors. Objective: To determine dose-limiting toxicosis (DLT) and maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of doxorubicin in tumor-bearing horses. Methods: Seventeen horses with 34 localized or multicentric advanced tumors. Methods: Two-stage dose-ranging design involving intrapatient and interpatient dose escalation. Treatment protocol included 6 treatment cycles given at 3-week intervals with dosages ranging from 40 to 85 mg/m(2). Clinical signs, hematologic, and nonhematologic changes were evaluated. Results: Total doses ranged from 1,127...
Altamura G, Corteggio A, Nasir L, Yuan ZQ, Roperto F, Borzacchiello G.Equine sarcoids are skin tumours of fibroblastic origin affecting equids worldwide. Bovine papillomavirus type-1 (BPV-1) and, less commonly, type-2 are recognized as etiological factors of sarcoids. The transforming activity of BPV is related to the functions of its major oncoprotein E5 which binds to the platelet-derived growth factor β receptor (PDGFβR) causing its phosphorylation and activation. In this study, we demonstrate, by coimmunoprecipitation and immunoblotting, that in equine sarcoid derived cell lines PDGFβR is phosphorylated and binds downstream molecules related to Ras-mitoge...
Clarke L, Simon A, Ehrhart EJ, Mulick J, Charles B, Powers B, Duncan C.Mast cell tumors are uncommon in horses and typically have a benign clinical course, but there are occasional reports of more aggressive behavior. The objective of this study was to review histologic features and KIT expression patterns of 72 previously diagnosed equine cutaneous mast cell tumors to determine if either is associated with clinical outcomes. Biopsy specimens were reviewed using histologic criteria derived from grading schemes, and KIT antibody expression patterns used in canine tumors and surveys were sent to referring veterinarians for follow-up clinical data. Arabians were ove...
Hildebrandt L, Jäger K, Snyder A, Sobiraj A.The case report describes a narrowing of the spinal canal in the lumbar and sacroiliac regions with entailing acute recumbency in a nearterm 17-year-old Welsh B Pony mare. The reason for recumbency was metastases of a malignant melanoma in the spinal canal of the lumbo-sacral region, where the tumour had invaded the dura mater and applied severe pression on the spinal cord over a length of 10 cm. Clinical findings, laboratory diagnostics, pathological-anatomical and histopathological findings are presented.
Paciello O, Passantino G, Costagliola A, Papparella S, Perillo A.Histiocytic diseases in veterinary medicine have been revised in the last few decades, but these are considered relatively rare in horses. This report describes a 9-year-old female horse, Dutch Warmblood, presented for investigation of severe nasal bleeding. A multinodular bilateral mass of 5 cm, reddish to white in color, that invaded and destroyed the surrounding tissues, was observed during a clinical examination of the nostril The morphological features of the tumor cells were represented by cytologically bizarre, highly phagocytic, multinucleated giant cells. These findings, together with...
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...
Schaffer PA, Wobeser B, Martin LE, Dennis MM, Duncan CG.To identify epidemiological trends in cutaneous neoplasms affecting equids in central North America and compare them with previously reported trends. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: 3,351 cutaneous biopsy specimens from 3,272 equids with a neoplastic diagnosis. Methods: Diagnostic reports from 2 diagnostic laboratories (Colorado State University and Prairie Diagnostic Services Inc) were reviewed for frequency of specific lesions and epidemiological trends. Variables included in analyses (if known) were age, sex, breed, geographic location, date of diagnosis, location of neoplasm o...
Finlay M, Yuan Z, Morgan IM, Campo MS, Nasir L.Bovine papillomavirus type 1 infects not only cattle but also equids and is a causative factor in the pathogenesis of commonly occurring equine sarcoid tumours. Whilst treatment of sarcoids is notoriously difficult, cisplatin has been shown to be one of the most effective treatment strategies for sarcoids. In this study we show that in equine fibroblasts, BPV-1 sensitises cells to cisplatin-induced and UVB-induced apoptosis, a known cofactor for papillomavirus associated disease, however BPV-1 transformed fibroblasts show increased clonogenic survival, which may potentially limit the therapeut...
Binanti D, Livini M, Riccaboni P, Sironi G.A 16-year-old primiparous mare aborted an apparently normal fetus at 240 days of gestation. A large, oval mass, measuring approximately 20 cm × 30 cm × 20 cm, was detected attached to the umbilical cord of the fetus. On the cut surface, the mass showed multifocal cystic structures, foci of mineralization, and diffuse hemorrhages. Histological examination of the mass revealed haphazardly arranged cartilage, bone, mesenchymal stroma, adipose tissue, vascular structures, smooth muscle, ciliated epithelium, squamous cornifying epithelium, and undifferentiated germ cells with areas of necrosis an...
Altamura G, Strazzullo M, Corteggio A, Francioso R, Roperto F, D'Esposito M, Borzacchiello G.Bovine papillomaviruses (BPVs) types 1 and 2 are the only known papillomaviruses able to jump the species. In fact, BPVs 1/2 induce neoplasia in their natural bovine host but infection is also associated to neoplastic skin lesions in equids termed sarcoids. The equine sarcoid is considered to be the most common equine cutaneous tumour worldwide for which no effective therapy is available. Very little is known about the molecular mechanisms underlying tumourigenesis, although genes contributing to sarcoid development have been identified. Several studies associate the development of cancer to t...
Reschke C.The case report describes the surgical and photodynamic treatment (PDT) of an equine sarcoid in a 6-year-old gelding. A mass on the ventral prepuce, several tumours on the lateral aspect of the prepuce and one sarcoid on the front aspect of the chest were treated. For PDT, Temoporfin (Fospeg® Biolitec AG, Jena) at a concentration of 0.15mg/ml was injected locally. The subsequent irradiation was performed using a red-light laser (652nm) with an energy density of 10J/cm². The mass on the ventral aspect of the prepuce and some of the lateral tumours displayed total remission. The remaining tumo...
Wilson AD, Armstrong ELR, Gofton RG, Mason J, De Toit N, Day MJ.Sarcoids are common skin tumours of horses and donkeys that are characterised by persistent proliferation of dermal fibroblasts associated with the presence of bovine papillomavirus (BPV) DNA. Some early BPV proteins have been demonstrated within sarcoids and RNA containing both early and late transcripts is present, yet it remains unclear whether late replication of BPV, culminating in the production of infectious virus particles, can occur in equids. Here we report that BPV1 RNA isolated from equine sarcoids encodes a unique deletion of four residues within the L2 protein suggesting a novel ...
Sundström E, Imsland F, Mikko S, Wade C, Sigurdsson S, Pielberg GR, Golovko A, Curik I, Seltenhammer MH, Sölkner J, Lindblad-Toh K, Andersson L.Greying with age in horses is an autosomal dominant trait, associated with loss of hair pigmentation, melanoma and vitiligo-like depigmentation. We recently identified a 4.6 kb duplication in STX17 to be associated with the phenotype. The aims of this study were to investigate if the duplication in Grey horses shows copy number variation and to exclude that any other polymorphism is uniquely associated with the Grey mutation. Results: We found little evidence for copy number expansion of the duplicated sequence in blood DNA from Grey horses. In contrast, clear evidence for copy number expansio...
Campagne C, Julé S, Bernex F, Estrada M, Aubin-Houzelstein G, Panthier JJ, Egidy G.Melanocytic proliferations are common in horses but the diagnosis of malignancy is not always straightforward. To improve diagnosis and prognosis, markers of malignancy are needed. Receptor for activated C kinase 1 (RACK1) protein may be such a marker. RACK1 was originally found to characterize malignant melanocytic lesions in the Melanoblastoma-bearing Libechov minipig (MeLiM) and, later, in human patients. Our purpose was to investigate the value of RACK1 in the classification of cutaneous melanocytic proliferations in horses. Results: Using immunofluorescence, we report here that both MITF ...
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...
Facemire PR, Facemire LM, Honnold SP.A 2-year-old gelding presented with a history of lethargy and anorexia. Physical examination revealed pleural and abdominal fluid, as well as several masses in the scrotum. The horse became acutely dyspneic despite 7 days of supportive care. Because of the poor prognosis, the owners elected euthanasia. Gross necropsy findings included multiple masses in the scrotum and inguinal canals and along the dorsal peritoneal cavity. The neoplasm infiltrated the kidneys, liver, spleen, mesenteric lymph nodes, mesentery, and abdominal surface of the diaphragm. Histologically, the neoplasm is composed of ...
Strazzullo M, Corteggio A, Altamura G, Francioso R, Roperto F, D'Esposito M, Borzacchiello G.Sarcoids are peculiar equine benign tumours. Their onset is associated with Bovine Papillomavirus type -1 or -2 (BPV-1/2) infection. Little is known about the molecular interplay between viral infection and neoplastic transformation. The data regarding papillomavirus infections in human species show the inactivation of a number of tumour suppressor genes as basic mechanism of transformation. In this study the putative role of the tumour suppressor gene Fragile Histidine Triad (FHIT) in sarcoid tumour was investigated in different experimental models. The expression of the oncosuppressor protei...
Phillips JC, Lembcke LM, Noltenius CE, Newman SJ, Blackford JT, Grosenbaugh DA, Leard AT.To determine the tissue-restricted expression pattern of tyrosinase mRNA in canine and equine melanocytic tumors and relative tyrosinase and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) I mRNA expression in variants of melanocytic tumors. Methods: 39 canine and 8 equine tumor samples and 10 canine and 6 equine normal tissue samples. Methods: RNA was isolated from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues. Real-time PCR assays were designed to amplify canine and equine tyrosinase, S18 ribosomal RNA, and major histocompatibility complex I transcripts. Relative expression was determined by use of S18 a...
Kondo H, Wickins SC, Conway JA, Mallicote MF, Sanchez LC, Agnew DW, Farina LL, Abbott JR.A 23-year-old Anglo-Arabian mare was presented with tachypnea, dyspnea, and pitting edema of the ventral thoracic subcutis. On necropsy, a tan to red, friable, irregularly shaped mass (23 × 20 × 18 cm) occupied the cranial mediastinum. Histologically, the mass was classified as a liposarcoma and was composed of short interlacing bundles of spindle-shaped to irregularly rounded cells with discrete, variably sized, clear cytoplasmic vacuoles, which were stained with oil red O in frozen sections of formalin-fixed tissue.
Cissell DD, Wisner ER, Textor J, Mohr FC, Scrivani PV, Théon AP.The computed tomography (CT) features of tumors involving the nasal cavity and/or paranasal sinuses of 15 horses were reviewed. The 15 tumors included five neuroendocrine tumors/neuroblastomas, two undifferentiated carcinomas, two myxosarcomas, and one each of nasal adenocarcinoma, hemangiosarcoma, chondroblastic osteosarcoma, anaplastic sarcoma, myxoma, and ossifying fibroma. All tumors except the ossifying fibroma were iso- or hypoattenuating relative to masseter muscle. Thirteen of the fifteen tumors exhibited moderate or marked osteolysis of adjacent cortical bone and 14/15 were characteri...
Smrkovski OA, Koo Y, Kazemi R, Lembcke LM, Fathy A, Liu Q, Phillips JC.Performance and clinical characteristics of a novel hyperthermia antenna operating at 434 MHz were evaluated for the adjuvant treatment of locally advanced superficial tumours in cats, dogs and horses. Electromagnetic simulations were performed to determine electric field characteristics and compared to simulations for a flat microwave antenna with similar dimensions. Simulation results show a reduced skin surface and backfield irradiation and improved directional irradiation (at broadside) compared to a flat antenna. Radiated power and penetration is notably increased with a penetration depth...
Clode AB, Miller C, McMullen RJ, Gilger BC. To compare the complications and nonrecurrence rate following topical mitomycin C (MMC) therapy vs. CO(2) laser ablation for treating equine corneolimbal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: Twenty-five horses with corneolimbal SCC. Methods: Medical records of horses undergoing surgical tumor resection followed by either topical MMC therapy (0.04%) or CO(2) laser ablation between the years of 2004 and 2010 were reviewed. Recurrence and complications were compared between groups and within MMC subgroups defined by the time at which treatment was ...
Wobeser BK, Hill JE, Jackson ML, Kidney BA, Mayer MN, Townsend HG, Allen AL.Equine sarcoids are the most common tumor of horses. Bovine papillomavirus (BPV) has been suggested as the cause of sarcoids. Studies have shown that BPV is present in swabs or biopsies from nonsarcoid-bearing equine skin. Skin biopsies from a variety of different conditions and normal skin from horses with no reported history of sarcoids were examined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the presence of BPV, which was found in all different types of skin conditions as well as normal skin. Forty-one out of 86 skin biopsies from horses without sarcoids were found to contain BPV DNA. Laser mic...
Cosandey J, Hamza E, Gerber V, Ramseyer A, Leeb T, Jagannathan V, Blaszczyk K, Unger L.MicroRNAs have been proposed as biomarkers for equine sarcoids, the most prevalent equine skin tumors globally. This study served to validate the diagnostic and prognostic potential of whole blood microRNAs identified in a previous study for long-term equine sarcoid diagnosis and outcome prediction. Based on findings of a clinical examination at the age of 3 years and a follow-up following a further 5-12 years, 32 Franches-Montagnes and 45 Swiss Warmblood horses were assigned to four groups: horses with regression (n = 19), progression (n = 9), new occurrences of sarcoid lesions (n = 19) and t...
Schellenbacher C, Shafti-Keramat S, Huber B, Fink D, Brandt S, Kirnbauer R.The consistent and specific presence of Equus caballus papillomavirus type 2 (EcPV2) DNA and mRNA in equine genital squamous cell carcinoma (gSCC) is suggestive of an etiological role in tumor development. To further validate this concept, EcPV2-neutralizing serum antibody titers were determined by an EcPV2 pseudovirion (PsV) neutralization assay. Furthermore, an EcPV2 L1 virus-like particle (VLP)-based vaccine was generated and its prophylactic efficacy evaluated in vivo. All 6/6 gSCC-affected, but only 3/20 tumor-free age-matched animals revealed EcPV2-neutralizing serum antibody titers by P...
Gerding JC, Gilger BC, Montgomery SA, Clode AB.A 7-year-old, 153.0-kg American Miniature mare presented for evaluation of keratoconjunctivitis of the right eye (OD). A superior palpebral conjunctival mass and stromal keratitis were diagnosed. The incisional biopsy diagnosis was a presumptive corneal hemangiosarcoma. Transpalpebral enucleation was performed, and histopathologic evaluation confirmed angiosarcoma of the conjunctiva, cornea, and extraocular muscles. The horse developed progressive epistaxis and orbital swelling following surgery. A systemic workup was performed 3 months after enucleation, revealing regrowth within the orbit an...
Sedrish SA, McClure JR, Pinto C, Oliver J, Burba DJ.A 12-year-old Morgan mare was examined because of stallion-like behavior of 45 days' duration. Palpation per rectum and transrectal ultrasonographic examination revealed a large left ovary with multiple cystic areas and crepitus. A granulosa-theca cell tumor was suspected. During hospitalization for further evaluation of the affected ovary, the mare developed signs of abdominal pain. Exploratory surgery revealed a large left ovary, which was black with a necrotic and friable surface, and a 720 degrees clock-wise torsion of the ovarian pedicle. Torsion was corrected, and oophorectomy was perfor...
Caston SS, Sponseller BA, Dembek KA, Hostetter JM.A reformulation of Mycobacterium cell wall fraction immunotherapeutic can be used to successfully treat sarcoids in horses. Sarcoids are reported to be the most common equine skin tumors with tumor type and location influencing the choice of treatment. Wide surgical excision is curative for many tumors, but may not always be feasible. Previous studies have reported sarcoid regression after injection with mycobacterial cell wall immunotherapeutics. A new formulation of the Mycobacterium phlei cell wall fraction immunostimulant (Immunocidin Equine) was used to treat cutaneous tumors in horses. E...
Wyn-Jones G.The treatment of equine cutaneous tumours by conventional or cryosurgical techniques can be limited where the position of the tumour makes radical excision or freezing impractical or dangerous. Radiotherapy provides an effective and practical alternative. The use of iridium pins with guide needles allows accurate positioning of sources and uniform radiation fields to be achieved. The subsequent removal of the pins reduces the period of incapacity and reduces the radiation risk when compared to permanently implanted sources. Twenty-seven tumours on 26 horses were treated by this method with a 1...
Okamoto Y, Minami S, Matsuhashi A, Sashiwa H, Saimoto H, Shigemasa Y, Tanigawa T, Tanaka Y, Tokura S.The sponge-, cotton-, and flake-type remedies made of chitin (chitin-sponge, chitin-cotton, and chitin-flake, respectively), and non-woven fabric of polyester (NWF) composited with chitin (chitin-NWF) were applied to various types of trauma, abscess, surgical tissue defect and herniorrhaphy in 147 clinical cases including 72 dogs, 38 cows, 33 cats, 2 rabbits, one monkey and one horse. Chitin-sponge was applied in 30 cases as filling agent of surgical tissue defect, and in 25 cases of trauma, 31 cases of abscess as wound dressing or tissue defect filling agent. In 77 out of 86 cases (89.5%), go...
Hafner S, Harmon BG, King T.Ten cecal tumors were identified during the postmortem examination of seven horse carcasses at slaughter (one horse had three tumors). The multinodular and hemorrhagic tumors ranged from 1 to 10 cm in diameter and consisted of spindle cells arranged in thin, interconnected trabeculae that were often separated by sinuses filled with mucinous fluid, erythrocytes, and siderophages. Spindle cells of all tumors were immunopositive for vimentin, neuron-specific enolase, and c-kit protein but lacked reactivity with antibodies to glial fibrillary acidic protein, S100 protein, and desmin. In one tumor,...
Grier RL, Brewer WG, Paul SR, Theilen GH.Forty-five ocular squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) in 17 cattle and 8 horses were treated by radiofrequency hyperthermia, resulting in 80% complete regression and 16% partial regression. Tumors were histologically diagnosed as SCC; 50% of the tumors were recurrent, having been treated previously by surgery, cryosurgery, radiation, or immunotherapy. After hyperthermic treatment, most animals were available for tumor measurement at 4 to 6 weeks and at 8 to 16 weeks, with a final observation period of 2 to 10 months for all. Complete regression occurred in 8 of 12 tumors given a second hyperthermic...
Clode AB, Miller C, McMullen RJ, Gilger BC. To compare the complications and nonrecurrence rate following topical mitomycin C (MMC) therapy vs. CO(2) laser ablation for treating equine corneolimbal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: Twenty-five horses with corneolimbal SCC. Methods: Medical records of horses undergoing surgical tumor resection followed by either topical MMC therapy (0.04%) or CO(2) laser ablation between the years of 2004 and 2010 were reviewed. Recurrence and complications were compared between groups and within MMC subgroups defined by the time at which treatment was ...
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...
Brown KA, Gregorio EN, Barot D, Usimaki A, Linardi RL, Missanelli JR, You Y, Robinson MA, Ortved KF.To determine the effects of a single dose of the NSAIDs phenylbutazone, firocoxib, flunixin meglumine, and ketoprofen on concentrations of growth factors and cytokines in autologous protein solution (APS) and platelet-rich plasma (PRP). Methods: 6 adult university-owned horses. Methods: For the first phase, 6 horses were randomized to receive ketoprofen (1,000 mg) or flunixin meglumine (500 mg) IV. Blood was obtained and processed for APS (Pro-Stride) and PRP (Restigen) before and 6 hours after administration of NSAIDs. Horses underwent a 2-week washout period, after which the protocol was rep...
Fesmire CC, Peal B, Ruff J, Moyer E, McParland TJ, Derks K, O'Neil E, Emke C, Johnson B, Ghosh S, Petrella RA, DeWitt MR, Prange T, Fogle C, Sano MB.Integrated time nanosecond pulse irreversible electroporation (INSPIRE) is a novel tumor ablation modality that employs high voltage, alternating polarity waveforms to induce cell death in a well-defined volume while sparing the underlying tissue. This study aimed to demonstrate the in vivo efficacy of INSPIRE against spontaneous melanoma in standing, awake horses. Unassigned: A custom applicator and a pulse generation system were utilized in a pilot study to treat horses presenting with spontaneous melanoma. INSPIRE treatments were administered to 32 tumors across 6 horses and an additional 1...
Gold JR, Warren AL, French TW, Stokol T.A 1-year-old Thoroughbred filly was presented to the Cornell University Hospital for Animals with a 10-day history of fever, diarrhea, inappetance, and hypodipsia. Clinical pathology abnormalities found by the referring veterinarian included erythrocytosis, hyperproteinemia, and increased serum gamma-glutamyltransferase and lactate dehydrogenase activities. At Cornell University, the laboratory abnormalities were confirmed and also included thrombocytosis and hypoglycemia. Erythrocytosis persisted despite vigorous fluid therapy. Ultrasound examination revealed an extremely enlarged liver with ...
Golding JP, Kemp-Symonds JG, Dobson JM.Photodynamic therapy (PDT) holds great promise in treating veterinary and human dermatological neoplasms, including equine sarcoids, but is currently hindered by the amount of photosensitiser and light that can be delivered to lesions thicker than around 2 mm, and by the intrinsic antioxidant defences of tumour cells. We have developed a new PDT technique that combines an efficient transdermal penetration enhancer solution, for topical delivery of 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) photosensitiser, with acute topical post-PDT application of the glycolysis inhibitor lonidamine. We show that the new ...
Behrendt D, Burger D, Gremmes S, Szunyog K, Röthemeier S, Sieme H.Stallion-like or aggressive behaviour in mares affected by unilateral granulosa theca cell tumour (GTCT) is well-known, but use of a GnRH-vaccine as an alternative to surgical removal of the neoplastic ovary has not been investigated. Objective: To determine the effect of immunisation against GnRH on ovarian size, testosterone concentration, Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) concentration, and owner-reported behaviour in four mares affected by unilateral GTCT. Methods: Retrospective case report. Methods: A presumptive diagnosis of GTCT was made in four mares based on clinical signs, behavioural ch...
Studer U, Marti E, Stornetta D, Lazary S, Gerber H.20 sarcoid-affected horses from a practice in the northern Jura were used in this experiment. The mean age of the 20 horses was 3.9 years at the time of the first observation of sarcoid tumors. On the average, 4.4 tumours were noted per horse. 10 of the horses were treated in a double-blind study with an unspecific immunostimulant (Baypamun P), 10 others received a placebo. One single tumour only was treated per horse. The injections were given under and around the sarcoid. In eight out of the 20 horses all tumours regressed totally or for more than 50% of their initial size. Five of these had...
Théon AP, Pusterla N, Magdesian KG, Wittenburg L, Marmulak T, Wilson WD.The efficacy and biosafety of a previously established tolerable dosage of doxorubicin have not been established in horses. Objective: To provide preliminary evidence of the efficacy of doxorubicin in tumor-bearing horses, explore drug pharmacokinetics profile, and estimate period of risk of exposure to drug residues. Methods: Twelve horses with 37 tumors. Methods: Treatment protocol included 6 treatments at 3-week intervals. Eight horses were uniformly treated at a dosage of 70 mg/m(2) and 4 horses received 4 of 6 treatment cycles at 70 mg/m(2) . Clinical signs, tumor responses, and toxicoses...
Stickle RL, Erb RE, Fessler JF, Runnels LJ.Unilateral ovariectomy was performed on 3 mares affected with granulosa cell tumors. Tumor fluid in each mare was found to contain estrogen, testosterone, and progesterone. In 2 mares, preoperative blood plasma concentrations of these hormones were comparable to those of a series of clinically normal mares. The other mare, which had a history of aggressive, masculine behavior, had higher testosterone content in the tumor fluid and in the preoperative blood sample. After surgical removal of the tumors, each mare developed follicles and ovulated with the remaining ovary. Each was eventually bred...
Sanchez B, Nieto A, de Ruiz Leon MA, Rodríguez J, Flores J.A lymphangiosarcoma with metastases was found in a horse that presented with respiratory distress and edema in the ventral thorax and abdomen. The necropsy revealed diffuse edema in the subcutaneous connective tissue. Mediastinal, mesenteric, iliac, and renal lymph nodes were enlarged and white with soft, yellowish necrotic areas. Histologic examination revealed numerous channels and disorganized vessels lined by large polyhedral, polymorphic cells. Tumor metastases were observed in the spleen, lungs, and kidneys. Immunohistochemical evaluation of the tumor cells demonstrated positive staining...
Kato M, Higuchi T, Orita Y, Ishikawa Y, Kadota K.A hepatic malignant tumour composed of both hepatocellular and cholangiocellular elements was studied histologically, immunohistochemically and electron microscopically in an 18-year-old Thoroughbred mare. Bile canaliculi and alpha-fetoprotein were useful in identifying the hepatocellular element, and mucin and keratin were good markers of biliary differentiation. The simultaneous presence of bile canaliculi and mucin-producing cells in most of the neoplastic lesions suggested that this tumour arose from a stem cell with capacity to differentiate into hepatocytes and biliary epithelium.