Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Horse with lameness and fluid in chest due to cancer
By Jorgensen, J S et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·1997·Department of Food Animal and Equine Medicine, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Lameness and pleural effusion associated with an aggressive fibrosarcoma in a horse.
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A 8-year-old Thoroughbred gelding was brought in for chronic lameness in his left shoulder that had lasted for three months. X-rays showed a suspicious area in the bone, initially thought to be a fracture, but further tests revealed it was actually an aggressive tumor that had spread to other areas of his body. Unfortunately, the horse developed breathing problems two weeks later, and after more tests, it was determined that he had multiple tumors. Due to the poor prognosis, the horse was euthanized, and the tumor was confirmed to be an aggressive fibrosarcoma.
People also search for: horse lameness causes · horse breathing problems · horse tumor treatment · Thoroughbred cancer symptoms · fibrosarcoma in horses
Abstract
An 8-year-old Thoroughbred gelding was admitted for evaluation of chronic lameness of the left scapulohumeral joint of 3 months' duration. Radiography revealed a radiolucent lesion with the proximal portion of the humerus in the area of the metaphysis. Scintigraphy confirmed radiographic findings, with an increased uptake of technetium Tc 99m medronate in the proximal portion of the left humerus. A preliminary diagnosis of humeral fracture was made. Two weeks later, the horse was readmitted for clinical signs of respiratory distress. Radiographic and ultrasonographic evaluation revealed masses within the thoracic and abdominal cavities. The diagnosis was changed to neoplasm with multiple metastases. Because of the unfavorable prognosis, the horse was euthanatized. Necropsy findings confirmed an aggressive neoplasm. Special histochemical stains, immunohistochemistry, and electron microscopy were required to characterize the neoplasm as an anaplastic fibrosarcoma. Findings in this horse illustrate the importance of considering neoplasia, resulting in bone lesions, as a possible cause of chronic lameness in horses.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9143540/