[The diagnosis of morbus maculosus in horses].

This research article presents a literature review and case study of Morbus maculosus equorum, a disease in horses, examining 13 cases and discussing the main symptoms, hematological findings, diagnosis and treatments.

Overview of Morbus maculosus equorum

• The paper starts by outlining that Morbus maculosus equorum, also known as purpura haemorrhagica, is a disease in horses. The research suggests that the symptoms and the nature of this disease have remained unchanged for the last 150 years.
• The main symptoms of Morbus maculosus equorum are haemorrhagic diathesis, which includes petechiae (small, flat, round spots under the skin caused by bleeding), ecchymosis (a discoloration of the skin caused by bleeding underneath), and sugillations (large-scale versions of petechiae).
• Other symptoms include peripheral edema (swelling caused by excess fluid trapped in body’s tissues) and fever.

Hematological Findings

• The study elaborates on the hematological abnormalities typically associated with the disease. These include neutrophilia, which is an increase in the number of neutrophils (a type of white blood cell) in the blood, often seen with a shift to the left (meaning immature neutrophils are present in the blood), and lymphopenia, which is a decrease in lymphocytes (another type of white blood cell).
• In recent years, some cases of Morbus maculosus equorum were noticed to exhibit thrombocytopenia, a condition characterized by low platelet count in the blood.

Treatment Methodologies

• Regarding the treatment, the basic therapeutics used are glucocorticoids and penicillins. Glucocorticoids are a type of corticosteroid that reduce inflammation while penicillins are antibiotics that can help in treating or preventing bacterial infections.

Diagnosis and Nomenclature

• The paper also discusses the challenges in differentiating Morbus maculosus equorum from other diseases and the issues related to disease naming.

By compiling and studying these findings, the research provides a comprehensive overview of Morbus maculosus equorum, its characteristics, the difficulties in diagnosis and treatment methods, thus providing a deeper understanding of this disease in horses.