Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Generalized steatitis associated with selenium deficiency and normal vitamin E status in a foal.
- Journal:
- Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
- Year:
- 1986
- Authors:
- Foreman, J H et al.
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A 7-month-old male Quarter Horse was brought in because he had lost a lot of weight and seemed very weak for the past two months, even though he was eating well. Tests showed he had severe inflammation in his fat tissue, and X-rays indicated some unusual calcification in a ligament in his neck. Sadly, the foal died just nine days after being admitted to the clinic. An examination after death found widespread mineral deposits in various tissues, and it turned out that his selenium levels were very low, likely due to not getting enough selenium in his diet. Unfortunately, the treatment did not save him.
Abstract
A 7-month-old male Quarter Horse was examined because of severe cachexia, which had begun 2 months earlier. The foal was emaciated and weak despite an excellent appetite. Percutaneous biopsy revealed multiple areas of subcutaneous steatitis with mineralization. Radiography demonstrated calcification of the nuchal ligament. The foal died 9 days after admission. Necropsy revealed mineralized lesions throughout the fascial planes and adipose tissues of the thorax, abdomen, and skeletal muscles, with little to no involvement of muscular tissue. Serum magnesium, copper, and thyroxine concentrations were slightly lower than normal. The serum selenium concentration was unusually low. Renal selenium content was significantly lower (P less than 0.01) than that in similarly prepared sections of kidneys from 3 clinically normal ponies. Low dietary selenium intake was suspected as the cause of the problem.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3733507/