Pilot Videodermoscopic Examination of Hair and Skin in Arabian Mare Horses During the Winter Season.

The research article documents a study that examined the hair and skin of Arabian mares using a technique known as Videodermoscopy during the winter season. The study discovered noteworthy variations in the hair pigment and visible blood vessels on the mares’ unpigmented skin along with the density and hair thickness across different body parts.

Objective of the Study

• The main focus of this research was to conduct a thorough examination of specific dermoscopic parameters in Arabian mares during the winter season. This was done in seven distinct body regions, namely the forehead, mane, neck, chest, flank, croup, and tail, using Videodermoscopy.

Subjects and Methodology

• Twenty-one healthy, non-breeding Arabian mares aged between 3 and 21 years were selected for this assessment.
• A Videodermoscope Vidix 7 from Medici Medical SRL equipped with a 5-Mpx camera was used for the examination. A VX1 cover, a contact type cap with 3.5 cm diameter, was used along with the camera.
• The CellSens Dimension system was employed to measure the parameters in question.

Key Findings

• The study unveiled significant pigment differences in the gray-colored Arabian mares’ hair.
• Blood vessels could be visibly detected on the horses’ non-pigmented skin using this method.
• It was found that hair density varied from 1,458 hairs (in croup) to 3,680 hairs (in head) within a single dermoscopic field of view. Similarly, the thickness of the hair varied across different body parts, ranging from 52.70 µm (chest) to 87.45 µm (tail).
• The uniformity of the study group, consisting of a single sex, breed, and season, allowed for a more focused study.

Comparison with Previous Studies

• The results from this unique study showed that the density and thickness of a horse’s hair change according to the horse’s breed and the specific body region. This distinction is particularly important as it enriches our existing understanding, making the research significant in the context of animal dermatology.