Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Horse with draining tract and pigmenturia due to Halicephalobus
By Ruggles, A J et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·1993·Department of Clinical Studies, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Disseminated Halicephalobus deletrix infection in a horse.
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A 13-year-old Quarter Horse gelding was taken to the vet because he had a draining wound and a broken jaw that had been bothering him for four weeks. Just two days before his visit, he started passing dark-colored urine. X-rays showed a fracture in his jaw and an infection affecting a large part of it, while an ultrasound of his left kidney showed damage to its structure. Tests on tissue from his jaw revealed a severe infection caused by a type of parasite called Halicephalobus deletrix. The horse was treated with antibiotics and deworming medication, and the infected part of his jaw was surgically cleaned out. Unfortunately, eight days after the surgery, he became unsteady on his feet and had to be put to sleep. A thorough examination after his death showed that the parasites had spread to his jaw, kidneys, and nervous system.
Abstract
A 13-year-old Quarter Horse gelding was referred for evaluation of a draining tract and fracture of the right hemimandible of 4 weeks' duration. Two days prior to admission, the horse had developed pigmenturia. Radiography of the mandible revealed a fracture of the vertical ramus of the right hemimandible, loss of the right lower second premolar, and osteomyelitis involving an extensive portion of the hemimandible. Ultrasonography of the left kidney revealed loss of normal renal architecture. Histologic examination of tissue obtained from the right hemimandible revealed granulomatous osteomyelitis and multiple metazoan parasites identified as Halicephalobus deletrix. The horse was treated with antimicrobial and deworming agents, and the mandible was surgically debrided. The horse became atactic 8 days after surgery and was euthanatized. Necropsy identified parasitic migration in the right hemimandible, kidneys, and CNS.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8407514/