Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Horse with severe abdominal pain and swelling - what could it be?
By Perry, Laura R et al.·Published in Journal of equine veterinary science·2023·Department of Health Management·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Lymphomatosis as a Cause of Abdominal Pain and Distension in Two Adult Horses.
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
Two adult horses were seen for serious abdominal swelling, colic (a type of severe belly pain), low energy, and eating less than usual. Tests of their abdominal fluid led to a diagnosis of lymphoma, a type of cancer, in both horses. Unfortunately, because the outlook was very poor, the horses were humanely put to sleep. Further examinations after their passing confirmed that one horse had a specific type of lymphoma affecting the intestines, while the other had a different type affecting the cecum, both with widespread cancer spread throughout the abdomen. Sadly, the treatment options were not effective, and both horses did not survive.
Abstract
Two equine patients presented separately with severe abdominal distention, colic, lethargy, and decreased appetite. An ante-mortem diagnosis of lymphoma was reached in each case based on peritoneal fluid cytology. Due to a poor prognosis, the horses were humanely euthanized. Post-mortem examination with histology and immunohistochemistry confirmed both cases as lymphoma: alimentary B-cell lymphoma of the distal jejunum and cecum in one case, and T-cell lymphoma of the cecum in the second case. Both cases exhibited extensive metastasis with peritoneal and pleural serosae covered in small nodules and plaque like masses consistent with lymphomatosis. These cases document a unique presentation of lymphoma in equine patients presenting as peritoneal lymphomatosis with ascites.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36509240/