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Veterinary radiology & ultrasound : the official journal of the American College of Veterinary Radiology and the International Veterinary Radiology Association2020; 61(3); 269-278; doi: 10.1111/vru.12847

Presumed cholesterinic granulomas detected on CT in horses are associated with increased lateral ventricle height and age.

Abstract: Cholesterinic granulomas are mass-like lesions that form at the choroid plexus of the ventricular system. Large cholesterinic granulomas within the lateral ventricles have been reported to cause severe neurological signs. However, little data are available about their prevalence or appearance in the overall population. The objective was to report the prevalence of presumed cholesterinic granulomas on CT in a population of horses, and investigate associations between presumed cholesterinic granuloma presence, lateral ventricle size, age, and neurological signs. The study was cross sectional, CT scans of the head were assessed for presumed cholesterinic granuloma presence and size, and lateral ventricle height. Computed tomography findings and clinical information were compared using nonparametric testing. Computed tomography scans of 139 horses were included. Presumed cholesterinic granulomas were found in 22 horses (15.8%), nine were unilateral and 13 bilateral. A significant increase in prevalence was observed with age (P < .0001), with 38% of horses over 15 years old affected. The median volume of presumed cholesterinic granulomas was 242 mm with a range from 51 to 2420 mm . The mean lateral ventricle height was significantly increased in horses with presumed cholesterinic granulomas present (P = .004), with a median of 7.3 mm compared to 4.9 mm without. Neurological signs were not associated with presumed cholesterinic granuloma presence or lateral ventricle height. Fourth ventricle mineralizations were found in seven horses, which may represent cholesterinic granulomas. In conclusion, presumed cholesterinic granulomas occurred in a large proportion of the examined population and are associated with increased lateral ventricle dilation and advanced age.
© 2020 The Authors. Veterinary Radiology & Ultrasound published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American College of Veterinary Radiology.
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Publication Date: 2020-02-05 PubMed ID: 32020759PubMed Central: PMC7317960DOI: 10.1111/vru.12847Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article

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 research article explores the occurrence of cholesterinic granulomas in horses, which are mass-like lesions forming at the choroid plexus of the ventricular system. The paper investigates the correlation between the occurrence of these granulomas with variables such as age, lateral ventricle size, and neurological signs in a horse population.

Detailed Research Objective and Description

The main objective of this research was to identify the prevalence of cholesterinic granulomas on CT in horses, and determine whether the presence of these granulomas has links with:

  • Lateral ventricle size in horses
  • The age of the horses
  • Occurrence of neurological signs in the horses

The study was cross-sectional and used CT scans of the head to assess for the presence and size of these granulomas, as well as the height of the lateral ventricle. The findings from the computed tomography scans and clinical information of the horses were compared using nonparametric testing, an approach useful for comparing groups that don’t fit typical parametric distribution.

Results and Findings

There were 139 horses included in the computed tomography scans in this research. Of these, 22 horses or 15.8% of the population, exhibited signs of cholesterinic granulomas.

Key findings include:

  • Nine of the horses had unilateral cholesterinic granulomas while 13 had bilateral.
  • There was a significant increase in the prevalence of cholesterinic granulomas with age (P < .0001), affecting 38% of horses that were over 15 years old.
  • The median size of the cholesterinic granulomas detected was 242 mm, with a range from 51 to 2420 mm.
  • The height of the lateral ventricle was notably higher in horses with presumed cholesterinic granulomas (P = .004), with a median of 7.3 mm compared to 4.9 mm in horses without the granulomas.
  • There was no significant correlation between the presence of cholesterinic granulomas or the size of lateral ventricle and neurological signs in the horses.
  • Seven horses were found to have fourth ventricle mineralizations, and this might be an evidence of cholesterinic granulomas.

In conclusion, this research reveals that a significant proportion of the horse population under study had cholesterinic granulomas which were associated with increased lateral ventricle dilation and older age.

Cite This Article

APA
Lloyd-Edwards RA, Willems DS, Beukers M, van den Brom-Spierenburg A, Vernooij JCM, Veraa S. (2020). Presumed cholesterinic granulomas detected on CT in horses are associated with increased lateral ventricle height and age. Vet Radiol Ultrasound, 61(3), 269-278. https://doi.org/10.1111/vru.12847

Publication

Veterinary radiology & ultrasound : the official journal of the American College of Veterinary Radiology and the International Veterinary Radiology Association
ISSN: 1740-8261
NlmUniqueID: 9209635
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 61
Issue: 3
Pages: 269-278

Researcher Affiliations

Lloyd-Edwards, Ralph A
  • Division of Diagnostic Imaging, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Willems, Dorien S
  • Division of Diagnostic Imaging, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Beukers, Martijn
  • Division of Diagnostic Imaging, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
van den Brom-Spierenburg, Astrid
  • Department of Equine Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Vernooij, Johannes C M
  • Department of Farm Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Veraa, Stefanie
  • Division of Diagnostic Imaging, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht, The Netherlands.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Brain Diseases / diagnostic imaging
  • Brain Diseases / pathology
  • Brain Diseases / veterinary
  • Calcification, Physiologic
  • Calcinosis / diagnostic imaging
  • Calcinosis / pathology
  • Calcinosis / veterinary
  • Choroid Plexus / pathology
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Female
  • Fourth Ventricle / diagnostic imaging
  • Fourth Ventricle / pathology
  • Granuloma / diagnostic imaging
  • Granuloma / pathology
  • Granuloma / veterinary
  • Horse Diseases / diagnostic imaging
  • Horse Diseases / pathology
  • Horses
  • Lateral Ventricles / pathology
  • Male
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed / veterinary

Conflict of Interest Statement

None of the authors have conflicts of interest to disclose.

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Citations

This article has been cited 1 times.
  1. Lloyd-Edwards RA, Mulders E, Sloet van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan MM, Veraa S. Computed Tomography of the Hyoid Apparatus in Equine Headshaking Syndrome. Vet Sci 2025 May 23;12(6).
    doi: 10.3390/vetsci12060511pubmed: 40559747google scholar: lookup
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