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Home / Equine Research Bank / Equine Vet J / Clinical and morphological features of corneal lymphoma in 2...
Equine veterinary journal2024; 57(4); 1028-1034; doi: 10.1111/evj.14446

Clinical and morphological features of corneal lymphoma in 26 horses (27 eyes).

Abstract: Little information describing the biologic behaviour and therapies for corneal lymphoma exist. Objective: To characterise histologically confirmed equine corneal lymphoma considering breed, age or sex predisposition, histologic and immunologic features, therapies and outcomes. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: A multicentre retrospective medical record review was used to identify horses that presented with corneal disease confirmed morphologically as corneal lymphoma from 2012 to 2022. Results: Mean age at diagnosis was 10.5 years. Males represented 18/26 cases. Warmblood (14) and Thoroughbred (6) breeds were most commonly represented. 25/26 had unilateral ocular involvement. No cases had evidence of multicentric lymphoma. Most eyes (77.7%) had a history of suspected immune-mediated keratitis (IMMK) or eosinophilic keratitis. Morphological diagnosis confirming lymphoma was available for all cases. B-cell lymphoma was diagnosed in 19/24 eyes for which immunohistochemistry was performed, with intermediate to large B-cell lymphoma being most common. Fifteen of 27 eyes received at least one form of adjunctive therapy following keratectomy. Four eyes, which did not receive adjunctive therapy following keratectomy, experienced recurrence. No horses treated with adjunctive therapy following keratectomy experienced recurrence. Malignant transformation of IMMK to lymphoma was morphologically documented in one eye and suspected in three others based on recurrence of clinical signs. All globes were retained and visualised at the last follow-up. Conclusions: Incomplete medical records, owner subjectivity concerning onset of disease and cases being lost to follow-up. Conclusions: Malignant transformation of IMMK to corneal lymphoma likely occurs in horses. Lymphoma should be a differential for nonulcerative keratitis in horses. Keratectomy and histopathology may be considered in progressive or refractory cases of IMMK to rule out neoplastic disease. Recurrence of corneal lymphoma is unlikely following excision and adjunctive therapy. Cases with large corneal surface area or deep stromal involvement may have a likelihood for recurrence.
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Publication Date: 2024-11-27 PubMed ID: 39604144DOI: 10.1111/evj.14446Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article
  • Multicenter Study

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.

The research article explores the clinical and morphological characteristics of corneal lymphoma in horses. It outlines findings related to age, sex, and breed predispositions, histology, immunology, treatment techniques, and outcomes, with the ultimate conclusion that corneal lymphoma may manifest as a malignant transformation of immune-mediated keratitis in horses.

Study Methodology

  • The study was performed as a retrospective case series examining medical records from multiple centers. The goal was to uncover cases of confirmed corneal lymphoma in horses between the years 2012 and 2022.
  • All the cases had a morphologically confirmed diagnosis of corneal lymphoma.

Patient Demographics

  • The average age at diagnosis was found to be 10.5 years.
  • Out of all the cases, males were observed to be more commonly afflicted, constituting 18 of the 26 total instances.
  • The Warmblood and Thoroughbred horse breeds were found to be the most commonly affected.
  • Most cases (25 out of 26) showed symptoms in one eye only, and there was no evidence of multicentric lymphoma in any of the cases.

Disease Characteristics

  • Most eyes (around 77.7%) had a history of suspected immune-mediated keratitis (IMMK) or eosinophilic keratitis.
  • A majority of the horses diagnosed with corneal lymphoma had B-cell lymphoma (19 out of 24).
  • The most commonly diagnosed form of the disease was intermediate to large B-cell lymphoma.

Therapies and Outcomes

  • Out of the 27 total eyes affected, 15 received adjunctive therapy following a surgical procedure called keratectomy.
  • Recurrence of corneal lymphoma was noted in four eyes which did not receive adjunctive therapy post-keratectomy.
  • Interestingly, no recurrences were noticed in those horses that were treated with adjunctive therapy following the keratectomy operation.

Final Conclusions

  • A noteworthy finding of this research is the high probability of malignant transformation of IMMK to corneal lymphoma in horses.
  • The study suggests that corneal lymphoma should be a potential diagnosis for non-ulcerative keratitis in horses.
  • Given the unlikely recurrence of corneal lymphoma post-excision and adjunctive therapy, the use of keratectomy and histopathology for progressive or refractory IMMK can help rule out neoplastic diseases.

Cite This Article

APA
Morris JM, Lassaline ME, Nunnery CM, Teixeira LBC, Martins BC, Moore BA, Knickelbein KE, Scherrer NM, Plummer CE. (2024). Clinical and morphological features of corneal lymphoma in 26 horses (27 eyes). Equine Vet J, 57(4), 1028-1034. https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.14446

Publication

Equine veterinary journal
ISSN: 2042-3306
NlmUniqueID: 0173320
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 57
Issue: 4
Pages: 1028-1034

Researcher Affiliations

Morris, Jacob M
  • College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.
Lassaline, Mary E
  • School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
Nunnery, Catherine M
  • Equine Veterinary Vision, Inc., The Plains, Virginia, USA.
Teixeira, Leandro B C
  • School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Comparative Ocular Pathology Laboratory of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
Martins, Bianca C
  • School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, California, USA.
Moore, Bret A
  • College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.
Knickelbein, Kelly E
  • College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA.
Scherrer, Nicole M
  • School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
Plummer, Caryn E
  • College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Horses
  • Horse Diseases / pathology
  • Horse Diseases / therapy
  • Male
  • Eye Neoplasms / veterinary
  • Eye Neoplasms / pathology
  • Eye Neoplasms / therapy
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Female
  • Lymphoma / veterinary
  • Lymphoma / pathology
  • Lymphoma / therapy
  • Corneal Diseases / veterinary
  • Corneal Diseases / pathology

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