Guttural pouch mycosis in horses: a retrospective study of 28 cases.

This study reviews medical cases of 28 horses with guttural pouch mycosis, focusing on common symptoms, treatment methods, and survival rates. It revealed a 50% survival rate, regardless of treatment method, with the common cause of euthanasia being dysphagia due to pharyngeal dysfunction.

Objective of the Study

• The main aim of this study was to analyze the medical records of 28 horses diagnosed with guttural pouch mycosis, an uncommon but often fatal disease in horses.
• The study looked at different aspects including the prevalent clinical symptoms, treatments applied, and the subsequent survival rates post-treatment.

Clinical Observations

• According to the study, the most common symptoms observed in the horses were nasal discharge, nosebleeds (epistaxis), difficulty swallowing (dysphagia), and/or cough.
• The disease was found to affect one side of the animal (unilateral) in all cases. Nevertheless, in five out of the 28 cases, the disease had spread to the other side (contralateral) through the mesial septum, a thin wall separating the two guttural pouches.

Treatments and Outcomes

• The treatments for the 28 horses varied, 11 underwent surgery, three were treated using medical methods, and seven cases had a combination of both procedures.
• Unfortunately, regardless of the treatment method, half of the horses (14 out of 28) either were euthanized or died. The remaining half survived.
• Interestingly, the study found no significant correlation between the treatment method applied (whether medical, surgical, or a combination of both) and the survival rates.
• The report highlighted the primary cause for euthanizing the horses was dysphagia, resulting from a pharyngeal dysfunction. This was a consequence of guttural pouch mycosis leading to difficulties in swallowing.
• Additionally, the study found a strong association between the presence of dysphagia and non-survival, thus underlining the severity of this symptom in the prognosis of the disease (p=0.008).