Hypertrichosis in a horse with alimentary T-cell lymphoma and pituitary involvement.
Abstract: A 13-year-old Quarterhorse mare had a 6-month history of diarrhea, progressive weight loss, and lethargy. At presentation the mare was hirsute, had hyperhidrosis, and abnormal fat distribution in addition to severe diarrhea. A presumptive clinical diagnosis of protein-losing enteropathy and pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction was made. T-cell lymphoma was diagnosed in a rectal biopsy specimen. The owner elected to euthanize the mare because of poor prognosis and the severity of the disease. At necropsy, the mare had hypertrichosis and the pituitary gland was diffusely enlarged. Histologically, neoplastic lymphocytes infiltrated the gastrointestinal mucosa, mesenteric lymph nodes, and the pituitary gland. In addition, there was hyperplasia of the pituitary gland pars intermedia. Pituitary adenoma was not present. Hypertrichosis in this case could have been triggered by a combination of adenomatous hyperplasia of pars intermedia and lymphoma resulting in disruption of the hypothalamic dopaminergic tone or disruption of the hypothalamic thermoregulatory center.
Publication Date: 2007-04-27 PubMed ID: 17459849DOI: 10.1177/104063870701900125Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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This study focuses on the case of a 13-year-old quarter horse mare suffering from excessive hair growth (hypertrichosis), severe diarrhea, weight loss and lethargy. The horse was found to have lymphoma, a type of cancer, specifically in the gastrointestinal mucosa, mesenteric lymph nodes and pituitary gland. The study suggests that these conditions might have disrupted the hormone regulation or thermoregulatory center in the hypothalamus which led to hypertrichosis, excessive sweating, and abnormal fat distribution.
Case Details
- The aged Quarterhorse mare had a 6-month history of recurring diarrhea, progressing weight loss, and persistent lethargy.
- At the time of presentation, the mare showed signs of excessive hair growth (hypertrichosis), hyperhidrosis (abnormal excessive sweating), severe diarrhea and abnormal fat distribution.
Diagnosis and Prognosis
- The initial clinical diagnosis indicated a protein-losing enteropathy (a condition causing the loss of protein from the body due to gastrointestinal tract disorders) and pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (a dysfunction of a specific part of the pituitary gland).
- A tissue sample taken from the mare’s rectum, however, confirmed T-cell lymphoma, a type of cancer that begins in T-cells, a type of white blood cell. This indicated that the mare was critically ill.
- Given the mare’s advanced condition and the very poor prognosis, the horse’s owner decided euthanasia was the most compassionate choice.
Necropsy Findings
- Post-mortem examination showed that the mare had an excessively enlarged pituitary gland along with hypertrichosis.
- The horse had developed a tumor in her pituitary gland, which disrupted the normal hormonal regulation in her body.
- The hyerptrichosis was thought to be triggered by the combination of abnormal growth (adenomatous hyperplasia) in a particular region of the pituitary gland (pars intermedia) and the lymphoma.
- This combination of conditions could either have disrupted the hypothalamic dopaminergic tone (a mechanism regulating the release of hormones) or interfered with the hypothalamus’ ability to regulate body temperature (thermoregulatory center).
Cite This Article
APA
Mitsui I, Jackson LP, Couëtil LL, Lin TL, Ramos-Vara JA.
(2007).
Hypertrichosis in a horse with alimentary T-cell lymphoma and pituitary involvement.
J Vet Diagn Invest, 19(1), 128-132.
https://doi.org/10.1177/104063870701900125 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Purdue University, School of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory and Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, 406 South University Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA. imitsui@purdue.edu
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Female
- Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / complications
- Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / pathology
- Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / veterinary
- Horse Diseases / pathology
- Horses
- Hypertrichosis / complications
- Hypertrichosis / pathology
- Hypertrichosis / veterinary
- Lymphoma, T-Cell / complications
- Lymphoma, T-Cell / pathology
- Lymphoma, T-Cell / veterinary
- Pituitary Neoplasms / secondary
- Pituitary Neoplasms / veterinary
Citations
This article has been cited 2 times.- Miglio A, Morelli C, Gialletti R, Lauteri E, Sforna M, Marenzoni ML, Antognoni MT. Clinical and immunophenotypic findings in 4 forms of equine lymphoma. Can Vet J 2019 Jan;60(1):33-40.
- Sanz MG, Sellon DC, Potter KA. Primary epitheliotropic intestinal T-cell lymphoma as a cause of diarrhea in a horse. Can Vet J 2010 May;51(5):522-4.
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