Corneal invasion by hemangiosarcoma in a horse.
Abstract: A 15-year-old gray Arabian gelding presented for evaluation of a lateral limbal mass extending across approximately 30% of the cornea. Grossly, the raised mass appeared nonpigmented, smooth, and irregular in shape, with an area of central necrosis and serosanguinous discharge. The mass was removed via lamellar keratectomy and histopathologic evaluation revealed features characteristic of hemangiosarcoma (HSA), including irregular vascular channels lined by a plump spindle cell population. Immunohistochemistry results showed that the neoplastic cells lining the vascular channels present diffuse and strong cytoplasmic reaction with von Willebrand Factor and the perivascular spindle cells exhibit moderate cytoplasmic reaction for smooth muscle actin. A lack of cytokeratin staining definitively excluded a diagnosis of atypical squamous cell carcinoma. Smooth muscle actin staining of the perivascular cells adjacent to the neoplastic endothelial cells is not a feature commonly described in HSA and has not been reported in previous cases of equine HSA. The horse remained in good health 21 months postkeratectomy and has exceeded the survival time of previously documented equine ocular HSA cases where more extreme surgical excision was performed.
© 2011 American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists.
Publication Date: 2011-04-28 PubMed ID: 21521445DOI: 10.1111/j.1463-5224.2010.00856.xGoogle Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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The research describes a unique case of a 15-year-old Arabian horse that was diagnosed with a type of skin cancer called hemangiosarcoma, originating in the cornea – a previously undocumented occurrence.
Objective and Methods
- A horse with an unusual mass on the cornea was examined for possible tumor growth.
- The mass was physically described, noting its transparency, smoothness, irregular form, presence of dead tissue and discharge.
- A procedure known as lamellar keratectomy, which is the surgical removal of an eye’s corneal layers, was performed to remove the mass.
- The removed tissue was then examined histopathologically, a method that involves studying the microscopic structure of diseased tissue.
Findings
- The histopathologic analysis showed signs of Hemangiosarcoma (HSA), a rare form of cancer that begins in the cells lining the blood vessels. Key indicators such as irregular vascular channels lined with spindle-shaped cells were identified.
- Immunohistochemistry, a process that uses antibodies to check for certain antigens in a sample of tissue, showed strong cytoplasmic reaction from neoplastic (cancerous) cells within the vascular channels when exposed to von Willebrand Factor, a protein involved in blood clotting. Perivascular spindle cells showed moderate cytoplasmic reaction for smooth muscle actin, a protein involved in contraction.
- Cytokeratin staining, typically used to identify certain types of cancers, ruled out the potential diagnosis of atypical squamous cell carcinoma, a type of skin cancer.
Insights and Follow-up
- The study makes note of a previously unidentified feature of HSA, which is the presence of smooth muscle actin staining in perivascular cells adjoining the cancerous cells.
- Significantly, the horse was reported to be in good health 21 months post-surgery, exceeding the survival time of other equine ocular HSA cases where more extensive surgical removal occurred. This leads to a potential reconsideration of the typical prognosis for equine ocular HSA.
Cite This Article
APA
Pinn TL, Cushing T, Valentino LM, Koch SA.
(2011).
Corneal invasion by hemangiosarcoma in a horse.
Vet Ophthalmol, 14(3), 200-204.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1463-5224.2010.00856.x Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Cornell University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Equine and Farm Animal Hospital, Ithaca, New York 14853-6401, USA. tpinndvm@gmail.com
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Eye Neoplasms / pathology
- Eye Neoplasms / surgery
- Eye Neoplasms / veterinary
- Hemangiosarcoma / pathology
- Hemangiosarcoma / surgery
- Hemangiosarcoma / veterinary
- Horse Diseases / pathology
- Horse Diseases / surgery
- Horses
- Male
Citations
This article has been cited 1 times.- Kashani-Carver A, O'Halloran C, Scurrell E, Featherstone H, de Freitas FF, Lowe R. Equine conjunctival haemangiosarcoma: Clinical presentation, management, and outcome of seven cases in the United Kingdom. Open Vet J 2023 Oct;13(10):1366-1378.
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