Diagnosis of avian tuberculosis in a horse by use of liver biopsy.

This research article presents a case where avian tuberculosis was diagnosed in a horse through a liver biopsy procedure. The preliminary symptoms of the disease included fever, weight loss, diarrhea, and edema (swelling due to fluid build-up), alongside abnormalities in laboratory tests such as anemia, hypoalbuminemia, and hyperglobulinemia. The authors of this study recommend using a liver biopsy as a diagnostic procedure for horses with similar symptoms, particularly if liver enzyme levels are elevated.

Case Background

• The paper reports a clinical case where a 15-month-old Appaloosa colt (a young male horse) exhibited symptoms like fever, weight loss, diarrhea, and fluid build-up (edema).
• The horse also showed abnormal laboratory findings such as anemia (lower than normal red blood cell count), hypoalbuminemia (abnormally low levels of albumin, a protein in the blood), and high levels of globulin (hyperglobulinemia).
• This increased globulin production often indicates an ongoing inflammatory or immune response by the body, while hypoalbuminemia can be a result of malnutrition, liver disease, or kidney disease.

Liver Enzymes and Diagnosis

• The horse also had high levels of liver-specific enzymes. These are proteins that speed up (catalyze) biochemical reactions in the liver, and elevated levels often indicate liver disease.
• A liver biopsy was performed, where a small sample of liver tissue was removed for examination. Analysis of this sample led to a presumptive diagnosis of tuberculosis.

While typically associated with humans and certain other mammals like cattle, tuberculosis can also impact birds (avian tuberculosis) and, in rare cases, cross over to affect other species, like horses.

Recommendations

• The authors recommend liver biopsy as a diagnostic procedure when differential diagnosis in a horse includes either avian tuberculosis or granulomatous enteritis, which is a type of inflammation in the small intestine.
• This recommendation is especially pertinent if the horse exhibits high serum activities of liver-specific enzymes, indicating potential liver disease. Hence, this study contributes valuable diagnostic insights for clinicians treating horses with such symptoms.