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Peer-reviewed veterinary case report

Equine histoplasmosis presenting as a tumor in the abdominal cavity.

Journal:
Journal of veterinary diagnostic investigation : official publication of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Inc
Year:
2006
Authors:
Nunes, Jairo et al.
Affiliation:
Department of Veterinary Pathobiology · United States
Species:
horse

Plain-English summary

A 3.5-year-old Thoroughbred mare was found to have a large tumor in her abdomen during a post-mortem examination. In addition to this mass, there were several smaller growths in the same area, and her small intestine showed many raised bumps. Further testing revealed severe inflammation in her lymph nodes and intestines, with certain immune cells containing yeast organisms that were identified as Histoplasma, a type of fungus. This led to a diagnosis of abdominal histoplasmosis, which is a serious condition caused by this fungus. Unfortunately, the mare did not survive.

Abstract

A 3.5-year-old Thoroughbred mare presented at necropsy with a large mass at the root of the mesentery and multiple smaller mesenteric masses. The mucosa of the small intestine contained numerous raised nodules. Histologic examination revealed severe granulomatous mesenteric lymphadenitis and enteritis. Epithelioid macrophages and multinucleated giant cells frequently contained numerous intracytoplasmic yeast organisms, which were strongly positive on immunohistochemical staining when using a polyclonal antibody against Histoplasma spp. A diagnosis of abdominal histoplasmosis was made based on the gross, microscopic, and immunohistochemical findings.

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Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17037627/