Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Intralesional administration of formalin for treatment of epidermal inclusion cysts in five horses.
- Journal:
- Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
- Year:
- 2003
- Authors:
- Frankeny, Rebecca L
- Affiliation:
- Comstock Large Animal Hospital · United States
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
In this study, five horses with cysts in their noses were treated with a special injection of formalin, a chemical that helps shrink the cysts. The horses were sedated, and after draining the cysts, the formalin was injected until some fluid leaked out. Over the next few weeks, the cysts dried up, and three of the horses had them surgically removed two weeks later, while one owner chose to remove it themselves, and another decided not to remove it at all after the swelling went down. Some swelling and mild nasal discharge occurred after the treatment, but overall, using formalin injections was found to be a simple and effective way to treat these cysts in horses.
Abstract
Five horses with unilateral epidermal inclusion cysts located in the nasal diverticula were sedated and treated with intralesional injection of neutral-buffered 10% formalin (volume range, 2 to 4.5 mL). After aspiration of the cyst, formalin was injected intralesionally until leakage of fluid around the needle was observed. After several weeks, desiccation of the cyst was evident; it was excised 2 weeks after treatment in 3 horses, digitally removed by the owner of 1 horse, and never removed in 1 horse, because the owner declined further treatment after resolution of the original swelling of the nasal diverticulum. Swelling of the cyst after treatment was observed in all horses; nasal discharge (2 horses) and a mild episode of epistaxis (1 horse) were the only other complications of the treatment. Intralesional administration of formalin appears to be a simple and effective treatment for epidermal inclusion cysts in the nasal diverticula of horses.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12875451/