Disseminated hemangiosarcoma in the horse: 35 cases.

The research article analyses the occurrence and characteristics of spread-out hemangiosarcoma in horses, based on 35 cases.

About the Disease

• The study provides an understanding of hemangiosarcoma, a type of aggressive and malignant cancer that often goes undetected until it has spread throughout the body. It originates in the cells that line blood vessels and can affect any breed, age, or sex of a horse.

Study Findings

• From the review of 35 cases, the study found that hemangiosarcoma commonly occurred in mature horses, especially in middle-aged ones, with no clear gender preference.
• The researchers have also noticed a potential breed predisposition towards thoroughbreds. However, they couldn’t definitively establish this because of the limited number of cases.
• Most commonly, the disease affected the respiratory and musculoskeletal systems, with horses exhibiting symptoms like difficulty in breathing, subcutaneous or muscular swelling, nosebleeds, and lameness.
• Typically, the horses exhibited increased heart and respiratory rates, and their mucous membrane color was often pale or yellowish. While rectal temperatures and capillary refill times were generally normal, the horses frequently displayed anemia, neutrophilic leukocytosis (increased white blood cells), and thrombocytopenia (low platelet count).

Diagnosis and Presentation

• Diagnosis of the disease in horses was typically made after death during post-mortem examinations in the majority of the cases, with only four horses receiving a diagnosis while still alive based on tissue samples collected by fine-needle aspiration or biopsy.
• The most commonly affected areas were found to be the lungs and pleural tissue, skeletal muscle, and spleen.
• The primary tumor site could only be identified in 22 horses.

Conclusion

• The study concludes that hemangiosarcoma should be considered as one of the potential diagnoses for horses showing evidence of internal bleeding into body cavities, skeletal muscle, or the subcutaneous layer of skin.