Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dermatitis, cellulitis, and osteomyelitis caused byin a horse with pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction.
- Journal:
- Journal of veterinary diagnostic investigation : official publication of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Inc
- Year:
- 2024
- Authors:
- Waitt Wolker, Laura H et al.
- Affiliation:
- College of Veterinary Medicine Animal Health Institute · United States
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A 12-year-old Quarter Horse gelding was diagnosed with a serious fungal infection that caused skin inflammation (dermatitis), swelling and infection of the skin (cellulitis), and bone infection (osteomyelitis). This condition was linked to a hormonal disorder called pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction, and despite trying various treatments, including antifungal medications and anti-inflammatory drugs for a whole year, the horse did not improve. The infection was very aggressive and did not spread to other parts of the body, but it was clear that surgery to remove the affected areas should be considered early on in similar cases if possible. Unfortunately, the treatments did not work in this case.
Abstract
Clinical and histologic examination of a 12-y-old client-owned Quarter Horse gelding with pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction revealed dermatitis, cellulitis, and osteomyelitis caused by, confirmed by a PCR assay. This novel presentation of a fungal disease in a horse was characterized by aggressive local invasion and failure to respond to all medical therapy attempted over a 1-y period. Treatments included systemic and topical antifungals, anti-inflammatories, and use of cellular matrices. Surgical excision was not attempted but should be strongly considered early in the disease process in similar cases if clean margins can be achieved. Postmortem findings were of locally aggressive disease with no dissemination.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38462742/