Results of computed tomography in horses with ethmoid hematoma: 16 cases (1993-2005).

This research aims to test the significance of computed tomography (CT) in diagnosing and treating horses with Ethmoid Hematoma (EH), a type of growth in the nasal cavity. The research finds that CT can provide valuable diagnostic information, influencing treatment plans and potentially improving outcomes for horses.

Methodology

• The study took a retrospective view of 16 horses diagnosed with EH over a 12-year period. All horses included in the study had undergone a diagnostic CT scan.
• A comprehensive review was conducted on the clinical characteristics, treatments protocol, outcomes, radiographic and CT images, and histologic specimens of the subjects.

Results

• CT scans provided new diagnostic information that led to alterations in the treatment plans for 10 out of the 16 horses.
• Bilateral disease, which is the presence of the disease in both sides of the body, was found in 8 out of the 16 horses. Of these, 5 had their condition undetected before the CT scan.
• All the horses showed paranasal sinus involvement, but CT was necessary to definitively diagnose this in 7 of the 16 cases.
• The sphenopalatine sinus, a specific sinus located at the back of the nostrils, was affected in 6 of the 16 horses. CT scans detected that half of these instances were bilaterally affected.
• Various medical and surgical treatments were conducted on the horses. Six out of ten horses showed successful results, while the other four had recurrent issues.
• Five out of the six horses where the CT indicated all affected areas had a successful treatment outcome. This suggests that the use of CT in diagnosing EH leads to more effective and targeted treatments.

Conclusions

• CT gives valuable anatomical information needed to plan effective treatments for horses with EH, especially those with bilateral disease and paranasal sinus involvement.
• The researchers recommend the use of CT for horses when their lesion is invisible endoscopically, there’s suspicion of sinus involvement or multifocal disease, or when the lesion has been unresponsive to treatment.