Pituitary abscess and basilar empyema in 4 horses.
Abstract: Abscess of the pituitary gland is a rare condition which has been
described in man (Domingue and Wilson 1977; Ahmed et al. 1989),
ruminants (Taylor and Meads 1963; Moriwaki er al. 1973; Lomas and
Hazell 1983; Perdrizet and Dinsmore 1986) and one horse
(Rumbaugh 1977). The some of infection may be either direct
extension from an adjacent focus or haematogenous spread from a site
elsewhere in the body. In man, pituitary abscess may result from
meningitis, sphenoid sinusitis (Selose et al. 1980), and osteomyelitis
(Rongetti and Daniels 1950). A review of 20 cases of pituitary abscess
in ruminants did not document cases of direct extension of infection to
the pituitary gland, but foci elsewhere in the body were found in over
half the cases, and infection via the circulatory system was thought to
be the most probable source (Perdrizet and Dinsmore 1986).
Corynebacterium pyogenes is the most common isolate from cattle
(Taylor and Meads 1%3; Moriwaki et al. 1973; Perdrizet and
Dinsmore 1986), but a number of other Gram-positive and Gramnegative organisms (Perdrizet and Dinsmore 1986) and Mycoplasma
argini (Lomas and Hazell 1983) have been isolated from pituitary
abscesses in ruminants. In the present report basilar empyema and
pituitary abscessation were identified during post mortern examination
of 4 horses which had developed acute neurological disease.
Publication Date: 1994-09-01 PubMed ID: 7988547DOI: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.1994.tb04414.xGoogle Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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This research article presents findings from an examination of four horses suffering from acute neurological disease, wherein a rare condition called pituitary abscess was discovered in conjunction with basilar empyema.
What is a pituitary abscess?
- A pituitary abscess is a rare condition characterized by an accumulation of pus in the pituitary gland due to an infection.
- Prior to this research, pituitary abscess has been documented in humans, ruminants (like cows and sheep), and, on one occasion, a horse.
Causes of Pituitary Abscess
- This condition can be caused by either a direct extension of an infection from a nearby site, or through hematogenous spread – where the infection reaches the pituitary gland via the circulatory system from another part of the body.
- In humans, pituitary abscess has been found to result from meningitis, sphenoid sinusitis, and osteomyelitis.
Evidence in Ruminants
- Reviewing 20 cases of pituitary abscess in ruminants, the researchers found no documentation of direct infection.
- However, over half the cases displayed infection elsewhere in the body, indicating hematogenous spread may be the more likely source.
Common Organisms Involved
- Corynebacterium pyogenes, a type of bacteria, was found to be the most common isolate from cattle.
- Apart from this, a variety of Gram-positive and Gram-negative organisms and a species of Mycoplasma called Mycoplasma argini have been found in pituitary abscesses in ruminants.
Present Study
- In this study, both basilar empyema (infection in the deepest part of the brain) and pituitary abscessation were detected during post-mortem examinations of four horses suffering acute neurological diseases.
This article presents an uncommon instance of pituitary abscess in horses, hinting at the need for further study to understand the causes, symptoms, and treatment for the condition in equine patients.
Cite This Article
APA
Reilly L, Habecker P, Beech J, Johnston J, Sweeney C, Hamir A.
(1994).
Pituitary abscess and basilar empyema in 4 horses.
Equine Vet J, 26(5), 424-426.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2042-3306.1994.tb04414.x Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Clinical Studies, New Bolton Center, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Kennett Square 19348.
MeSH Terms
- Abscess / complications
- Abscess / pathology
- Abscess / veterinary
- Animals
- Empyema / complications
- Empyema / veterinary
- Female
- Horse Diseases / pathology
- Horses
- Pituitary Diseases / complications
- Pituitary Diseases / pathology
- Pituitary Diseases / veterinary
- Pituitary Gland / pathology
Citations
This article has been cited 2 times.- Arndt S, Kilcoyne I, Heney CM, Wong TS, Magdesian KG. Bacterial meningitis after dental extraction in a 17-year-old horse. Can Vet J 2021 Apr;62(4):403-407.
- Maroneze G, Cerqueira LA, Borges JRJ, Castro MB, Câmara ACL. Pituitary Abscess Syndrome in Ruminants: Nine Cases. Animals (Basel) 2025 Sep 15;15(18).
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