Ultrasound findings in horses with severe eyelid swelling, and recognition of acute dacryoadenitis: 10 cases (2004-2010).

This research investigates and reports the use of ultrasound findings in diagnosing and treating horses with severe eyelid swelling, focusing particularly on acute dacryoadenitis (inflammation of the tear gland) and how an enlarged lacrimal gland appears through sonography. The study covers recorded cases from 2004-2010, during which horses suffering from extreme eyelid swelling that prevented direct visualization of the globe underwent ultrasound evaluation.

Methodology

• Medical records of horses with severe eyelid swelling undergoing ultrasound examination of the globe and periorbital structures from 2004 to 2010 were thoroughly investigated.
• The study only included cases where the severity of the eyelid swelling prohibited any form of direct visual inspection of the globe.

Results

• Out of all the reviewed cases, only ten were eligible for this study following the selection criterion.
• All instances were unilateral and acute.
• Five of the ten cases showed significant enlargement of the lacrimal gland, a condition supportive of the diagnosis of acute dacryoadenitis.
• A condition of eyelid abscessation was discovered in three horses, two of which also demonstrated mild to moderate enlargement of the lacrimal gland.
• Enlarged lacrimal glands appeared slightly heterogeneous on ultrasound, allowing them to be differentiated from an abscess by imaging the gland’s protrusion from beneath the supraorbital rim.
• Only two cases of severe eyelid swelling were purely due to traumatic events.

Conclusions

• Severe eyelid swelling in horses was frequently associated with acute dacryoadenitis and/or eyelid abscessation.
• The detection of a noticeably enlarged lacrimal gland, in combination with sudden, painful severe eyelid swelling, aligns with a diagnosis of acute dacryoadenitis.
• Ultrasound evaluation of eyelid swelling, regardless of the severity, is recommended in order to determine whether enlargement of the lacrimal gland, regardless of its cause, is a contributing factor to the condition.