Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Horner's syndrome in the horse: a clinical, experimental and morphological study.
- Journal:
- Equine veterinary journal. Supplement
- Year:
- 1990
- Authors:
- Simoens, P et al.
- Affiliation:
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A case of Horner's syndrome, which affects the nerves in the face and eyes, was reported in a Standardbred horse. This condition caused symptoms like drooping of the eyelid, sweating in specific areas, and increased warmth of the skin where the nerves were affected. Other signs, such as a sunken eye, constricted pupil, and increased tear production, were also noted but were less obvious. In one pony, a related issue called laryngeal hemiplegia, which affects the throat, was also observed after a specific nerve was cut. The study looked at these symptoms in detail and compared them to other research, ultimately providing insights into the causes of these nerve-related issues.
Abstract
A clinical case of Horner's syndrome is described in a Standardbred horse, and the various symptoms of cranial sympathetic denervation are studied in two ponies after experimental transection of the left cervical sympathetic trunk and vagosympathetic trunk, respectively. The most prominent symptoms of equine Horner's syndrome were ptosis, local sweating and increased cutaneous temperature in the denervated area. Enophthalmos, miosis and increased lacrimation were also observed but these symptoms were mild, variable and difficult to ascertain. Prolapse of the third eyelid was not noticed. Concomitant laryngeal hemiplegia was present in the clinical case and was provoked experimentally in one pony by transection of the left vagosympathetic trunk. The aetiology of each of these symptoms is discussed by comparing the results of pharmacological tests and histological findings in the three horses with the data from the literature.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9079120/