The mystery of fungal infection in the guttural pouches.

This research article explores the role of guttural pouches in horses, particularly focusing on the treatment and prevention of fungal infections that can occur there. Among other things, it considers a relatively new therapeutic technique involving arterial occlusion.

Overview of the Research Article

• The article begins by discussing guttural pouch physiology in horses. These are large, air-filled spaces that are unique to certain species such as horses. The authors suggest that they play a role in regulating blood temperature, specifically cooling the circulation to the brain to below body temperature.
• The paper then touches upon the fact that Aspergillus spp. is the primary organism found in guttural pouches afflicted with mycosis (fungal infection), but it remains unclear why this fungus becomes aggressive.

Treating Guttural Pouch Mycosis

• Standard therapy targets two main objectives: preventing fatal bleeding and treating any existing neurological damage. However, the authors note the importance of disease prevention.
• A method discussed involves inserting a transarterial coil into various arteries of both healthy and infected horses. This method was found to effectively block the arteries and cause the mycotic lesions to regress – all without needing additional medicinal intervention.

Addressing Acute Hemorrhaging

• The study also considers acute and uncontrollable nose bleeding (epistaxis), which may occur in the field. It’s suggested that the most effective means of reducing such bleeding is likely through blocking both common carotid arteries.
• However, the mechanism through which such arterial occlusions can result in successful treatment of guttural pouch mycosis without the use of antifungal medication remains unclear. This question is the “mystery” referred to in the article’s title and represents a knowledge gap in the current understanding of equine health biology.