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Home / Equine Research Bank / Vet Rec / Evaluation of excision, cryosurgery and local BCG vaccinatio...
The Veterinary record2002; 149(22); 665-669; doi: 10.1136/vr.149.22.665

Evaluation of excision, cryosurgery and local BCG vaccination for the treatment of equine sarcoids.

Abstract: Ninety-five horses with sarcoids were subjected to three types of treatment: surgical excision (conventional or carbon dioxide laser), cryotherapy or local BCG vaccination. The type of treatment was selected on the basis of the size, location and clinical appearance of the tumours. The choice between conventional and laser excision was empirical. A successful outcome was obtained in 11 of 14 (79 per cent) of the horses treated by cryosurgery, 18 of 27 (67 per cent) treated by BCG vaccination, 18 of 22 (82 per cent) treated by conventional excision, and 20 of 28 (71 per cent) treated with a carbon dioxide laser. For both excision methods, rigorous measures were taken to avoid autoinoculation and to ensure a wide margin of normal skin. The probability of local recurrence after excision was significantly higher for large sarcoids and sarcoids which had previously failed to respond to treatment. In 10 of the 31 horses with remaining sarcoids, some or all of the untreated sarcoids were observed to regress spontaneously.
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Publication Date: 2002-01-05 PubMed ID: 11765322DOI: 10.1136/vr.149.22.665Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Evaluation Study
  • Journal Article

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research article explores the effectiveness of three treatments (surgical excision, cryotherapy, or local BCG vaccination) on 95 horses suffering from equine sarcoids. The success rates varied, with conventional surgical excision proving most effective.

Methodology

  • The researchers selected 95 horses with sarcoids for this study. The horses were categorized into three groups based on the type of treatment they received: surgical excision (either conventional or performed with a carbon dioxide laser), cryotherapy (a method that uses extreme cold to destroy abnormal tissues), or local BCG vaccination (a vaccine typically used for tuberculosis but also found effective in treating some forms of cancer).
  • The type of treatment a horse received depended on the size, location, and clinical appearance of the sarcoids (wart-like skin growths).
  • The decision between employing conventional or laser excision was not based on any standardized criteria but was more empirical and depended on each individual case.

Results

  • The research showed that the most successful treatment method was conventional excision, which had a success rate of 82%. It was closely followed by cryotherapy, which succeeded in 79% of cases.
  • The BCG vaccination and carbon dioxide laser treatment saw slightly lower success rates, at 67% and 71% respectively.
  • In both surgical excision methods, painstaking measures were taken to prevent autoinoculation (the spread of a pathogen from one part of the body to another). The researchers also made sure a wide margin of healthy skin was left intact when removing sarcoids.
  • However, recurrence rate of sarcoids following excision was higher in larger growths and in cases where the sarcoids had not previously responded to treatment.

Conclusion

  • A noteworthy observation made during the study was that in 10 out of 31 horses with remaining sarcoids, some or all of the untreated sarcoids regressed spontaneously. While this phenomenon needs further study, it implies that spontaneous regression of equine sarcoids can occur.
  • Overall, the study provided a comparative analysis of three different treatment methods for equine sarcoids, with surgical excision proving to be the most effective.

Cite This Article

APA
Martens A, De Moor A, Vlaminck L, Pille F, Steenhaut M. (2002). Evaluation of excision, cryosurgery and local BCG vaccination for the treatment of equine sarcoids. Vet Rec, 149(22), 665-669. https://doi.org/10.1136/vr.149.22.665

Publication

The Veterinary record
ISSN: 0042-4900
NlmUniqueID: 0031164
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 149
Issue: 22
Pages: 665-669

Researcher Affiliations

Martens, A
  • Department of Surgery and Anaesthesiology of Domestic Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium.
De Moor, A
    Vlaminck, L
      Pille, F
        Steenhaut, M

          MeSH Terms

          • Animals
          • BCG Vaccine / therapeutic use
          • Cryosurgery / methods
          • Cryosurgery / veterinary
          • Female
          • Horse Diseases / immunology
          • Horse Diseases / surgery
          • Horse Diseases / therapy
          • Horses
          • Laser Therapy / veterinary
          • Male
          • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / therapy
          • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / veterinary
          • Skin Neoplasms / surgery
          • Skin Neoplasms / therapy
          • Skin Neoplasms / veterinary
          • Treatment Outcome

          Citations

          This article has been cited 18 times.
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