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Home / Equine Research Bank / Can Vet J / An atypical presentation of multi-systemic B-cell lymphoma i...
The Canadian veterinary journal = La revue veterinaire canadienne2019; 60(3); 300-304;

An atypical presentation of multi-systemic B-cell lymphoma in a horse.

Abstract: This report describes an unusual presentation of multicentric B-cell lymphoma with central and peripheral nerve involvement in a horse that was presented with acute onset, severe, multiple limb lameness, and muscle atrophy. This case highlights the importance of including neoplasia in the differential list in horses presenting for severe limb lameness associated with muscle atrophy, muscle fasciculations, and weakness. Présentation atypique d’un lymphome à cellules B multisystémique chez un cheval. Ce rapport décrit la présentation inhabituelle d’un lymphome à cellules B multicentrique avec une implication du nerf central et périphérique chez un cheval qui avait été présenté avec une boiterie aiguë et grave de plusieurs membres et de l’atrophie musculaire. Ce cas souligne l’importance d’inclure la néoplasie dans la liste des diagnostics différentiels des chevaux présentés pour une boiterie grave d’un membre associée à l’atrophie musculaire, aux fasciculations musculaires et à la faiblesse.(Traduit par Isabelle Vallières).
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Publication Date: 2019-03-16 PubMed ID: 30872854PubMed Central: PMC6380265
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This research article discusses a unique case of multi-systemic B-cell lymphoma in a horse, which initially presented with severe lameness and muscle atrophy.

Objective Breakdown

  • The study details a unique case of multicentric B-cell lymphoma in a horse, manifested primarily through severe multiple limb lameness and drastic muscle atrophy.
  • The authors bring attention to the necessity to include neoplasia – a condition involving abnormal cell growth – in the list of potential diagnoses when dealing with similar cases in horses.

Key Findings

  • The primary focus is a horse suffering from acute (sudden onset), severe lameness in multiple limbs coupled with muscle atrophy. In veterinary clinical practice, lameness generally refers to an abnormal gait or stance due to a disorder of locomotion.
  • Additionally, the horse was showing signs of muscle fasciculations and weakness. Muscle fasciculation is a small, local, involuntary muscle contraction (twitching) visible under the skin, often indicative of a larger neurological condition.
  • The unusual aspect of this case is the diagnosis – the horse was suffering from multicentric B-cell lymphoma involving both central and peripheral nerves, which is a type of cancer that affects white blood cells and is rare in equines.

Implications

  • Due to the severity and unusual presentation of symptoms in this case, the authors suggest that neoplasia should be included in the differential list – a list of potential diagnoses compiled by a medical professional – when treating horses with severe limb lameness and muscle-related symptoms.
  • This finding implies that lymphoma in horses may initially present with neurological symptoms such as limb lameness, muscle filaments, and muscle weakness – a stark departure from more commonly known symptoms.
  • Ultimately, this study brings our attention to the array of ways that lymphoma can present in horses and calls for thorough differential analysis in diagnosis to ensure best treatment practices and outcomes for the affected equines.

Cite This Article

APA
Torrent A, Kilcoyne I, Johnson A, Affolter VK, Berryhill E, Aleman M. (2019). An atypical presentation of multi-systemic B-cell lymphoma in a horse. Can Vet J, 60(3), 300-304.

Publication

The Canadian veterinary journal = La revue veterinaire canadienne
ISSN: 0008-5286
NlmUniqueID: 0004653
Country: Canada
Language: English
Volume: 60
Issue: 3
Pages: 300-304

Researcher Affiliations

Torrent, Albert
  • The William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (Torrent, Johnson, Berryhill), Department of Surgical and Radiological Sciences (Kilcoyne), Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology (Affolter), and Department of Medicine and Epidemiology (Aleman), School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California-Davis, Davis, California 95616, USA.
Kilcoyne, Isabelle
  • The William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (Torrent, Johnson, Berryhill), Department of Surgical and Radiological Sciences (Kilcoyne), Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology (Affolter), and Department of Medicine and Epidemiology (Aleman), School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California-Davis, Davis, California 95616, USA.
Johnson, Amanda
  • The William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (Torrent, Johnson, Berryhill), Department of Surgical and Radiological Sciences (Kilcoyne), Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology (Affolter), and Department of Medicine and Epidemiology (Aleman), School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California-Davis, Davis, California 95616, USA.
Affolter, Verena K
  • The William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (Torrent, Johnson, Berryhill), Department of Surgical and Radiological Sciences (Kilcoyne), Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology (Affolter), and Department of Medicine and Epidemiology (Aleman), School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California-Davis, Davis, California 95616, USA.
Berryhill, Emily
  • The William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (Torrent, Johnson, Berryhill), Department of Surgical and Radiological Sciences (Kilcoyne), Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology (Affolter), and Department of Medicine and Epidemiology (Aleman), School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California-Davis, Davis, California 95616, USA.
Aleman, Monica
  • The William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (Torrent, Johnson, Berryhill), Department of Surgical and Radiological Sciences (Kilcoyne), Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology (Affolter), and Department of Medicine and Epidemiology (Aleman), School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California-Davis, Davis, California 95616, USA.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Gait
  • Horse Diseases
  • Horses
  • Lameness, Animal
  • Lymphoma, B-Cell / veterinary

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Citations

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