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Surgical excision of a malignant metastatic melanoma located in a skeletal muscle of the lateral thorax of a horse.
Abstract: A 20-year-old grey Warmblood gelding that had history of dermal melanomatosis. To report surgical treatment of a 6-cm large malignant metastatic melanoma located in the cutaneous trunci muscle of the left lateral thorax of a horse. A 20-year-old grey Warmblood gelding was referred for evaluation of a large, rapidly growing, thoracic mass. Clinical examination revealed an ovoid, firm, non-painful, movable mass, approximately 6 cm in diameter, located in the cutaneous trunci muscle of the left lateral thorax. Multiple melanocytic nodules were also found at the perianal region and ventral tail. Rectal examination, ultrasonography and endoscopy of the respiratory tract revealed no melanomas internally. Haematological and biochemical values were within normal limits. Surgical excision of both the thoracic mass and perianal nodules was the treatment of choice. Histopathology of the distant thoracic mass confirmed the diagnosis of malignant metastatic melanoma secondary to the perineal lesions that were confirmed as dermal melanomatosis. The horse recovered uneventfully. Up until 3 years post surgery there was no tumour regrowth at the excision sites. Surgical excision of the metastatic melanoma was performed and considered successful, with no gross evidence of tumour reoccurrence. Despite the fact that surgical excision is considered a treatment option regarding equine dermal melanomatosis, there is no previously published study proposing surgical removal of distant malignant metastatic melanocytic masses. This is the first report of a successful surgical excision of a large (6 cm) metastatic melanocytic tumour from the skeletal muscle of the lateral thorax of a horse.
© 2020 The Authors. Veterinary Medicine and Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Publication Date: 2020-09-29 PubMed ID: 32991055PubMed Central: PMC8025616DOI: 10.1002/vms3.366Google Scholar: Lookup The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Case Reports
- Journal Article
Summary
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A 20-year-old horse underwent a successful surgical procedure to remove a malignant metastatic melanoma from its thorax, adding valuable new insights to our treatment options for equine dermal melanomatosis.
Overview
This research article presents a singular case study of a 20-year-old grey Warmblood gelding who underwent successful surgery for the removal of a 6-cm malignant metastatic melanoma located in its lateral thorax.
Initial Findings and Diagnostic Measures
- The gelding was referred for evaluation due to a large, rapidly expanding mass on the thorax.
- A clinical examination detected an oval, firm, non-painful, movable mass approximately 6 cm in diameter in the cutaneous trunci muscle of the left lateral thorax.
- Multiple melanocytic nodules were also discovered in the perianal region and ventral tail of the horse.
- Further examination involving rectal examination, ultrasonography, and respiratory tract endoscopy revealed no internal melanomas.
- The horse’s haematological and biochemical values were within normal ranges.
Treatment and Results
- Surgical excision of both the thoracic mass and perianal nodules was the chosen treatment approach.
- Post-surgery histopathology confirmed the thoracic mass to be a malignant metastatic melanoma related to the perineal lesions, which were verified as dermal melanomatosis.
- The horse recuperated with no complications.
- There was no sign of tumor regrowth at the procedure sites up to three years post-surgery, indicating the surgery was a success.
Significance
The successful surgical removal of the metastatic melanoma expands our understanding of treatment options for equine dermal melanomatosis. While surgical removal is considered a possible treatment for dermal melanomatosis, this research is reportedly the first example of a successful surgical excision of distant malignant metastatic melanocytic masses.
Cite This Article
APA
Billi T, Karadima V, Tyrnenopoulou P, Apostolopoulou EP, Brellou GD, Diakakis N.
(2020).
Surgical excision of a malignant metastatic melanoma located in a skeletal muscle of the lateral thorax of a horse.
Vet Med Sci, 7(2), 297-302.
https://doi.org/10.1002/vms3.366 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Equine Unit, School of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Equine Unit, School of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Equine Unit, School of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Laboratory of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Laboratory of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Equine Unit, School of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Horse Diseases / pathology
- Horse Diseases / surgery
- Horses
- Male
- Melanoma / secondary
- Melanoma / surgery
- Melanoma / veterinary
- Muscle Neoplasms / secondary
- Muscle Neoplasms / surgery
- Muscle Neoplasms / veterinary
- Muscle, Skeletal / pathology
- Muscle, Skeletal / surgery
- Neoplasm Metastasis
- Skin Neoplasms / pathology
- Skin Neoplasms / veterinary
- Thorax / pathology
Conflict of Interest Statement
No conflict of interests has been declared.
References
This article includes 17 references
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Citations
This article has been cited 4 times.- Pimenta J, Cotovio M. Equine Veterinarian Perspectives on Mucocutaneous Tumors in Horses: A Survey-Based Study in Portugal. Animals (Basel) 2025 Jun 23;15(13).
- Pimenta J, Prada J, Pires I, Cotovio M. The Impact of Excision Interval on Equine Melanoma Progression: Time Matters?. Animals (Basel) 2024 Apr 22;14(8).
- Pimenta J, Prada J, Pires I, Cotovio M. Programmed Cell Death-Ligand 1 (PD-L1) Immunohistochemical Expression in Equine Melanocytic Tumors. Animals (Basel) 2023 Dec 22;14(1).
- Yi Z, Gao Y, Yu F, Zhu Y, Liu H, Li J, Murua Escobar H. Interventions for treatment of cutaneous melanoma in horses: a structured literature review. Vet Res Commun 2023 Jun;47(2):347-360.
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