Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Tumors in young adult horses - what to know
By Valentine, B A et al.·Published in Veterinary pathology·1999·College of Veterinary Medicine, United States·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Intramuscular desmoid tumor (musculoaponeurotic fibromatosis) in two horses.
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
Two young adult horses were found to have intramuscular desmoid tumors, which are a type of growth that can occur in muscle tissue. One horse had the tumor in its neck muscles, while the other had it in its chest muscles. Both tumors showed similar characteristics under the microscope, indicating they were made up of certain types of cells and had areas of inflammation. The researchers believe these tumors might develop after injuries, like from injections. The first horse had its tumor surgically removed and seemed to recover well, but the second horse could not have surgery because the tumor was too extensive.
Abstract
Intramuscular desmoid tumors (musculoaponeurotic fibromatosis) were discovered in two young adult horses. The tumor in one horse was in the lateral cervical musculature, and that in the second horse occurred in the pectoral musculature. Histopathologic features were similar in both horses and included proliferation of fibroblasts and cells expressing muscle actin (myofibroblasts), with extensive dissecting fibrosis within muscle. These features are similar to those of desmoid tumors in humans, particularly those also known as musculoaponeurotic fibromatosis. Dissection of these lesions revealed a single central (horse No. 1) or multiple central (horse No. 2) fluid-filled cavities with associated sterile inflammation. The presence of these cavities supports the hypothesis that equine desmoid tumors are traumatic in origin, possibly occurring at sites of injections or bursal rupture. Surgical excision of the tumor in horse No. 1 was apparently curative, but the extent of the tumor in horse No. 2 precluded surgical excision.
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 on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10490218/