Superficial, nonhealing corneal ulcers in horses: 23 cases (1989-2003).

This study looks at the characteristics of nonhealing corneal ulcers in horses and how factors like age, breed, sex, cause of ulcer, and treatment affect healing times. Through analysis of past medical records and various treatment methods, it was found a single debridement (removal of damaged tissue) during initial evaluation proved to be significantly more efficient at healing these ulcers compared to other procedures like grid keratotomy and superficial keratectomy.

Research Methodology

• The study is retrospective in nature, meaning the researchers used existing data taken between 1989 and 2003 from medical records of horses diagnosed with nonhealing corneal ulcers.
• Information relating to the horses’ signalment (age, breed, sex), duration of clinical signs, any ophthalmic abnormalities, treatment details and response to treatment, were all recorded for analysis.
• Multiple methods were employed for treatment of these ulcers – medical therapy in combination with debridement (removing damaged tissue), debridement along with grid keratotomy (procedure where the cornea is incised in a grid pattern), a superficial keratectomy (removal of the superficial layers of the cornea), or a superficial keratectomy alongside the placement of a conjunctival graft.

Study Findings

• The average age of the horses was roughly 13.7 years and on average, the corneal ulcers had been present for approximately 38.9 days.
• The ulcers took on average about 20 days to completely re-epithelialize or regenerate new tissue post treatment.
• The time it took for the horses’ ulcers to heal differed with the type of treatment administered. Debridement alone averaged a healing time of 15.3 days, grid keratotomy averaged 16 days, and superficial keratectomy took roughly 22.8 days.

Conclusion

• The research concluded that horses treated with debridement during their initial evaluation healed in significantly less time than those treated with either grid keratotomy or superficial keratectomy.
• It therefore suggests that while these latter two procedures can be beneficial in treating nonhealing ulcers in horses, the outcomes imply these should only be considered if the ulcer fails to heal following epithelial debridement.