Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Mare very tired and anemic - what could be wrong?
By Geelen, S N et al.·Published in The veterinary quarterly·1997·Department of Large Animal Medicine and Nutrition, Netherlands·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Monoclonal gammopathy in a Dutch warmblood mare.
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A 15-year-old Dutch warmblood mare was brought to the vet because she had been very tired for several weeks and was also found to have severe anemia, which means her blood had low red blood cell levels. Tests showed that her total protein was high, and further analysis revealed a specific type of abnormal protein in her blood and urine. After she passed away, a thorough examination showed an unusual number of certain cells in her bone marrow and spleen, which suggested she had a condition called plasma cell myeloma, a type of cancer affecting blood cells. Unfortunately, the treatment options for this condition are limited, and the outcome was not favorable.
Abstract
A 15-year-old Dutch warmblood mare was presented because of lethargy, which had been present for several weeks, and severe anaemia. Total protein was high and serum electrophoresis revealed a monoclonal peak in the alpha-2 region. Monoclonal immunoglobulin, IgG(T), was detected by immuno-electrophoresis in serum and urine. Postmortem examination revealed a relatively large number of plasmacytoid cells in the bone marrow and a monotonous population of plasmacytoid cells in the spleen. These findings are suggestive of a plasma cell myeloma.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9225427/