Hemangiosarcoma in 11 young horses.

The abstract presents a study about hemangiosarcoma, a rare type of cancer in horses, specifically in horses three years of age or younger. The research aimed to identify the characteristics and possibly different behavior of this cancer in younger horses in order to guide treatment options.

Study Details

• The research took into account medial records of horses who were three years old or younger spanning a period from 1982 to 2004.
• Out of the reviewed medical records, only eleven horses were identified with a histopathologic diagnosis of hemangiosarcoma.
• The study determined that Thoroughbreds and Thoroughbred crosses were predominantly affected by this condition.
• The ages of the horses in the study ranged from as little as 9 days old to 3 years old.

Presenting Symptoms

• The horses showed symptoms of cutaneous or leg swellings or joint effusion.
• Physical examination findings revealed tachycardia, fever, and depression.
• Laboratory tests showed abnormalities such as anemia, hyperfibrinogenemia (high fibrinogen levels in the blood), hypofibrinogenemia (low fibrinogen levels), thrombocytopenia (low platelet count), and neutrophilic leukocytosis (increased white blood cell count).

Diagnostic Procedures & Results

• Ultrasonographic and radiographic evaluations were conducted on the horses, but they failed to provide a diagnostic outcome.
• A histopathologic diagnosis was obtained before death in ten of the cases.
• Postmortem examinations confirmed the diagnosis in all cases where the horse had been euthanized.

Treatment & Outcomes

• Six out of the eleven horses had to be euthanized.
• Surgical resection was attempted on five horses, however, two of those horses had to be euthanized later on.
• Two of the cases resolved spontaneously.
• The researchers suggest that early histopathologic diagnosis could allow for curative treatment if the tumor is localized and can be surgically removed.
• In cases where the horse is stable, and the swellings or masses do not interfere with its quality of life, the researchers suggest a period of observation might be beneficial before deciding on invasive treatment options.