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Unilateral keratitis secondary to Leishmania spp. infection in a horse: Clinical signs and successful topical therapy.
Abstract: Dermatological clinical signs have been seldom reported in the literature secondary to equine leishmaniasis. This case depicts the clinical signs, treatment, and outcome of a young horse with a pink, elevated lesion on the ventromedial quadrant of the cornea. A corneal cytology was performed and revealed the presence of leishmania amastigotes reaching the diagnosis of keratitis secondary to leishmania. Surgical resection was recommended but the owner declined the procedure, and the lesion was treated with a topical antimonial for 6 weeks. The lesion reduced remarkably during the first weeks of treatment. The patient had not shown recurrence of the lesion for 2 years since the treatment was started. Leishmania spp. can be responsible for ocular surface abnormalities such as keratitis. Corneal cytology is an inexpensive diagnostic method that should be considered when ocular surface abnormalities are identified in horses in endemic areas.
© 2023 American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists.
Publication Date: 2023-07-25 PubMed ID: 37489904DOI: 10.1111/vop.13134Google 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
Summary
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This study describes a rare skin-related issue in a horse caused by a parasite called leishmania. The horse had an unusual pink growth on its eye, which was successfully treated with medication, highlighting the importance of early diagnosis in such cases.
Background
- Equine leishmaniasis is a condition in horses caused by the leishmania parasite.
- It’s rare to see skin-related symptoms from this disease reported in scientific literature.
Case Presentation
- The study discusses a young horse that had a pink, raised mark on a specific part of its eye (ventromedial quadrant of the cornea).
- This mark or lesion was suspected to be a result of a disease or infection.
Diagnosis
- To understand the cause, a corneal cytology was performed, which is a test that studies cells from the cornea of the eye.
- The test revealed the presence of leishmania parasites, specifically in a form called amastigotes.
- Based on this, the horse was diagnosed with keratitis (inflammation of the cornea) that was caused by leishmania.
Treatment
- It was advised to surgically remove the lesion, but the horse’s owner chose not to go with the surgery.
- Instead, the lesion was treated using a topical medication (antimonial) for 6 weeks.
- The growth on the horse’s eye reduced significantly in the initial weeks of the treatment.
Outcome
- Two years after the treatment began, the horse did not show any signs of the lesion returning.
Conclusion
- Leishmania can cause abnormalities on the eye’s surface, like keratitis.
- For horses in areas where leishmania is common, corneal cytology is a cost-effective test that should be considered if there are unusual marks or growths on the eye.
Cite This Article
APA
Matas Riera M, Cardenas Nadal M, Martínez-Sogues L, Ferrer L.
(2023).
Unilateral keratitis secondary to Leishmania spp. infection in a horse: Clinical signs and successful topical therapy.
Vet Ophthalmol.
https://doi.org/10.1111/vop.13134 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Memvet-Centre de Referència, Palma, Spain.
- Equine Veterinary Surgeon in Mallorca, Palma, Spain.
- Veterinary Clinical Pathologist at Idexx, Westbrook Maine Laboratories, Virtual Clinical Pathologist, Spain.
- Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain.
References
This article includes 14 references
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