Equine pancreatic disease: a review and characterization of the lesions of four cases (2005-2014).
Abstract: Equine pancreatic disease is considered rare, and successful treatment is limited. Additionally, antemortem diagnosis of equine pancreatitis is difficult because of the lack of definitive diagnostic tests. Although a paucity of information exists on this entity in the horse, pancreatic disease has typically been shown to be secondary to other gastrointestinal, hepatic, and endocrine conditions. No predisposition based on age, sex, or breed appears to exist, but several conditions predispose a horse to pancreatitis, including grain overload, endocrine disease, and parasite migration. A retrospective search of cases within the archive of the University of Tennessee necropsy database revealed only 4 cases during a 9-year period (2005-2014). In only 1 case was pancreatic disease considered primary, and in the other 3, pathologies often seen concurrently with pancreatic lesions were identified. These included cecal rupture, colonic displacement, neoplasia (lymphocytic leukemia), and pituitary adenoma. A review of available historical data and associated laboratory results are included with the gross and histologic characteristics of pancreatic lesions, in these 4 newly reported cases.
© 2014 The Author(s).
Publication Date: 2014-12-20 PubMed ID: 25525143DOI: 10.1177/1040638714560606Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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This research paper is a retrospective study that reviews and characterizes equine pancreatic disease based on 4 cases found within the University of Tennessee’s necropsy database from 2005-2014.
Introduction to Equine Pancreatic Disease
- The article tries to shed more light on the equine pancreatic disease, which is considered relatively rare and difficult to treat.
- Diagnosis of this condition is challenging due to the absence of definitive diagnostic tests. This, coupled with the fact that equine pancreatic disease is often secondary to other gastrointestinal, hepatic, and endocrine conditions, makes it hard for effective treatment regimens to be established.
- The condition does not show any apparent predisposition based on age, sex, or breed. However, it can be influenced by factors such as grain overload, endocrine disease, and parasite migration.
Study Background and Findings
- The research conducted a retrospective analysis of cases in the University of Tennessee necropsy database. Only four cases were found within a nine-year period from 2005 to 2014, further illustrating the rarity of the disease.
- Out of these cases, pancreatic disease was the primary diagnosis in only one case. For the remaining three, the pancreatic lesions were secondary to other pathologies including cecal rupture, colonic displacement, lymphocytic leukemia (a type of cancer), and pituitary adenoma (a tumor in the pituitary gland).
- The article reported the observational and laboratory results of these cases in addition to the characteristics of the pancreatic lesions that were observed. By doing so, it contributes to a better understanding of equine pancreatic disease, which might potentially assist in improving the diagnosis and treatment of the condition.
Study Limitation
- The limitation of this study is the small number of cases used to understand the disease. More expansive studies are required to provide a detailed understanding of equine pancreatic disease and its relations with other health conditions.
Conclusion
- This study plays a crucial role in illustrating the rarity of equine pancreatic disease while highlighting the difficulties associated with diagnosing the condition. By showcasing the lessons learned from the treatment of four rare cases of the disease, it provides useful insights that could help facilitate better diagnostic and treatment procedures.
Cite This Article
APA
Newman SJ.
(2014).
Equine pancreatic disease: a review and characterization of the lesions of four cases (2005-2014).
J Vet Diagn Invest, 27(1), 92-96.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1040638714560606 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Biomedical and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN snewman4@utk.edu.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Female
- Horse Diseases / diagnosis
- Horse Diseases / pathology
- Horses
- Male
- Pancreas / pathology
- Pancreatic Diseases / diagnosis
- Pancreatic Diseases / pathology
- Pancreatic Diseases / veterinary
- Retrospective Studies
- Tennessee
Citations
This article has been cited 2 times.- Lohmann KL, Allen AL. Chronic active interstitial pancreatitis as a cause of transverse colonic obstruction and colic in a horse. Can Vet J 2015 Nov;56(11):1177-80.
- Menzies-Gow NJ, Knowles EJ. Sodium-glucose transport protein 2 inhibitor use in the management of insulin dysregulation in ponies and horses. J Vet Pharmacol Ther 2025 Jan;48 Suppl 1(Suppl 1):31-40.
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