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Home / Equine Research Bank / Acta Vet Scand / Osteochondritis dissecans-like lesions of the occipital cond...
Acta veterinaria Scandinavica2017; 59(1); 76; doi: 10.1186/s13028-017-0345-5

Osteochondritis dissecans-like lesions of the occipital condyle and cervical articular process joints in a Saddlebred colt horse.

Abstract: Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) is a sequela to osteochondrosis, whereby the cartilage superficial to the site of osteochondrosis fractures and gives rise to osteochondral fragments in the affected joint. In this case, both the radiological and computed tomography findings were supportive of classical severe OCD but the histologic findings were not supportive of the diagnosis of OCD. Methods: A 1 year and 6 months old, Saddlebred, colt was presented for evaluation of chronic cervical pain. Standing laterolateral radiographs revealed an osteochondral fragment with corresponding irregular subchondral bone defect at one of the occipital condyle. Computed tomography confirmed the presence of osteochondral fragments at the left occipital condyle and several articular process joints of the cervical spine, with associated subchondral bone defects and sclerosis, suggestive of OCD. However, the lack of ischemic chondronecrosis microscopically was not supportive of a histologic diagnosis of OCD. Therefore, the term 'OCD-like lesions' was deemed most appropriate for these cervical lesions. Conclusions: In the event where imaging features were characteristics of OCD but lack of histologic evidence of ischemic chondronecrosis, the term 'OCD-like lesion' is deemed most appropriate.
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Publication Date: 2017-10-30 PubMed ID: 29084574PubMed Central: PMC5663130DOI: 10.1186/s13028-017-0345-5Google Scholar: Lookup
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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 article documents a study that investigated the occurrence of osteochondritis dissecans-like lesions in the neck of a Saddlebred colt horse. The horse displayed symptoms resembling severe osteochondritis dissecans, a cartilage condition, but the common microscopic evidence for that condition was absent.

Study Context and Purpose

  • The study’s primary focus was the peculiar case of a young horse suffering from chronic neck pain, which, upon various diagnostic evaluations, showed signs akin to osteochondritis dissecans (OCD).
  • Osteochondritis dissecans is a condition where faults occur initially in the cartilage tissue and later lead to breakage of the cartilage and the development of osteochondral fragments in affected joints.

Methods and Findings

  • The horse under study was a Saddlebred colt, aged a year and a half, showing symptoms of chronic pain in the neck.
  • Diagnostic tests included radiographs which depicted an osteochondral fragment and an irregular defect in the subchondral bone, located specifically in the occipital condyle of the horse.
  • Subsequent computed tomography scans verified the presence of osteochondral fragments at the left occipital condyle and certain joints of the cervical part of the horse’s spine. These observations led to an initial diagnosis suggesting OCD.
  • However, they noticed that there was a lack of ischemic chondronecrosis – an essential microscopic feature of OCD, hence a decision against diagnosing it as such was made.

Conclusion

  • Despite the lesions having qualities consistent with OCD as per imaging reports, their absence of ischemic chondronecrosis at the microscopic level led researchers to determine the lesions as ‘OCD-like’ rather than confirmative OCD.

Cite This Article

APA
Lim CK, Hawkins JF, Vanderpool AL, Heng HG, Gillespie Harmon CC, Lenz SD. (2017). Osteochondritis dissecans-like lesions of the occipital condyle and cervical articular process joints in a Saddlebred colt horse. Acta Vet Scand, 59(1), 76. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13028-017-0345-5

Publication

Acta veterinaria Scandinavica
ISSN: 1751-0147
NlmUniqueID: 0370400
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 59
Issue: 1
Pages: 76
PII: 76

Researcher Affiliations

Lim, Chee Kin
  • Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA. cklim@purdue.edu.
Hawkins, Jan Fletcher
  • Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA.
Vanderpool, Andrea Lynn
  • Department of Comparative Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA.
Heng, Hock Gan
  • Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA.
Gillespie Harmon, Caroline Cooper
  • Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA.
Lenz, Stephen Dana
  • Department of Comparative Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Cervical Vertebrae / diagnostic imaging
  • Cervical Vertebrae / pathology
  • Horse Diseases / diagnosis
  • Horse Diseases / diagnostic imaging
  • Horse Diseases / pathology
  • Horses
  • Joints / pathology
  • Male
  • Occipital Bone / diagnostic imaging
  • Occipital Bone / pathology
  • Osteochondritis Dissecans / diagnosis
  • Osteochondritis Dissecans / diagnostic imaging
  • Osteochondritis Dissecans / pathology
  • Osteochondritis Dissecans / veterinary
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed / veterinary

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