Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Imaging features and decision making in retrobulbar neuroendocrine tumours in horses--case report and review of literature.
- Journal:
- Journal of veterinary medicine. A, Physiology, pathology, clinical medicine
- Year:
- 2007
- Authors:
- Matiasek, K et al.
- Affiliation:
- Institute of Veterinary Pathology · Germany
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A 25-year-old Haflinger gelding was seen because his eye was bulging out on one side and getting worse over time. Tests using ultrasound and MRI (a type of detailed imaging) showed that there was a mass behind the eye causing this problem. While the ultrasound couldn't tell exactly what the mass was, the MRI showed that it was growing into the brain but not affecting the surrounding soft tissues. The mass was later confirmed to be a poorly differentiated neuroendocrine tumor (a type of cancer) after further testing. The findings suggest that MRI can help veterinarians decide on treatment options and understand the likely outcomes for similar cases in horses.
Abstract
A 25-year-old Haflinger gelding was evaluated for chronic-progressive unilateral exophthalmos. Ultrasonographic investigation and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging revealed a retrobulbar space-occupying mass to be the cause of eyeball displacement. Ultrasonographic features were not sufficient to specify the type and extension of the lesion. Magnetic resonance scans, however, clearly displayed an infiltrative intracranial growth pattern but sparing of orbital soft tissues. Based on MR appearance, tentative diagnosis of an orbital soft tissue neoplasia was made and subsequently confirmed by histopathological investigation. The latter revealed a poorly differentiated neuroendocrine tumour. Retrospectively, MR changes resembled those seen with neuroendocrine neoplasms of the human skull. Even if histopathology remains to be elucidated by cytological or histological inspection, MR imaging of equine orbital tumours should provide the criteria necessary for evaluating the therapeutic options and associated prognosis.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17650150/