Equine eosinophilic keratoconjunctivitis in California: retrospective study of 47 eyes from 29 cases (1993-2017).
Abstract: (a) To evaluate the epidemiology of equine eosinophilic keratoconjunctivitis (EK) in the western United States, (b) to ascertain the efficacy of keratectomy and diamond burr debridement vs medical management alone, (c) to determine the efficacy of various medical therapies, and (d) to further characterize the histopathologic findings of the disease in horses. Methods: Twenty-nine horses (47 eyes) diagnosed with EK from 1993 to 2017. Methods: Retrospective medical record review; owner questionnaire. Results: Average age of presentation was 11 ± 4 years. Warmbloods were significantly overrepresented (P = 0.024). Twenty horses were treated with medical therapy alone, five were treated with superficial lamellar keratectomy, and four were treated with diamond burr debridement. Follow-up data were available for 38 eyes of 23 horses. Median time to resolution for horses treated with either superficial keratectomy or diamond burr debridement (62 days) was not statistically significantly different from those that underwent medical therapy alone (46 days; P = 0.33). Eyes treated with topical steroids had a statistically significant longer median time to resolution (61 days) compared to those that did not receive topical steroid (44 days; P = 0.023). Common histopathologic findings in keratectomy samples included the presence of eosinophils, vascularization, and an eosinophilic membrane spanning areas of ulceration. Conclusions: In this population, time to EK resolution was similar for horses treated with medical and surgical management. The use of topical steroids was associated with a prolonged time to resolution. Keratectomy samples from horses with EK had similar findings to those reported in other species.
© 2019 American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists.
Publication Date: 2019-01-31 PubMed ID: 30706617PubMed Central: PMC6635066DOI: 10.1111/vop.12621Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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This research evaluates the prevalence and treatment methods of equine eosinophilic keratoconjunctivitis, an eye disease in horses, in the western United States. It also examines the effectiveness of different treatments and the typical pathological features of the disease.
Research Objectives and Methods
The study aimed:
- To understand the prevalence of equine eosinophilic keratoconjunctivitis (EK), an eye disease in horses, in the western US
- To assess the effectiveness of two surgical interventions, keratectomy and diamond burr debridement, compared to solely medical treatment
- To evaluate different medical treatments for the disease
- To further explore the disease’s tissue structure and damage (histopathology) in horses.
The researchers accomplished this by a retrospective review of medical records and an owner questionnaire, referring to 29 horses diagnosed with EK from 1993 to 2017.
Findings
The study found:
- The average age of presentation was 11 ± 4 years, with Warmbloods, a breed of horse, being considerably overrepresented
- 20 horses received only medical treatment, 5 underwent a superficial lamellar keratectomy (a surgical procedure to remove pathological changes in the cornea), and 4 had diamond burr debridement (a method of removing damaged tissue or foreign objects from a wound)
- The time it took for the horses to recover from either the surgical procedures or medical treatment alone was not significantly different
- Horses treated with topical steroids had a significantly longer median time to recovery when compared to those that did not receive the steroid.
- The keratectomy samples exhibited common features like the presence of eosinophils (type of white blood cells), vascularization (the formation of new blood vessels), and an eosinophilic membrane covering areas of ulceration.
Conclusion
The study concluded that the time it took for horses to recover from EK was similar whether they underwent medical and surgical treatments. The usage of topical steroids was linked to a lengthier recovery period. The structural changes observed in the disease in horses resemble those reported in other species.
Cite This Article
APA
Knickelbein KE, Luethy D, Thomasy SM, Reilly C, Strom AR, Lassaline ME.
(2019).
Equine eosinophilic keratoconjunctivitis in California: retrospective study of 47 eyes from 29 cases (1993-2017).
Vet Ophthalmol, 22(4), 510-519.
https://doi.org/10.1111/vop.12621 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, California.
- New Bolton Center, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania.
- Department of Surgical and Radiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, California.
- Department of Ophthalmology & Vision Science, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, California.
- Insight Veterinary Specialty Pathology, Austin, Texas.
- Malmö Djursjukhus, Malmö, Sweden.
- Department of Surgical and Radiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, California.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- California / epidemiology
- Debridement / veterinary
- Eosinophilia / epidemiology
- Eosinophilia / therapy
- Eosinophilia / veterinary
- Female
- Follow-Up Studies
- Horse Diseases / epidemiology
- Horse Diseases / therapy
- Horses
- Keratoconjunctivitis / epidemiology
- Keratoconjunctivitis / therapy
- Keratoconjunctivitis / veterinary
- Male
- Retrospective Studies
- Steroids / therapeutic use
Grant Funding
- K08 EY021142 / NEI NIH HHS
- K08 EY021142 / National Institutes of Health
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