Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Mycosis fungoides in a horse.
- Journal:
- Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
- Year:
- 1998
- Authors:
- Potter, K & Anez, D
- Affiliation:
- College of Veterinary Medicine · United States
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A 17-year-old Quarter Horse mare was seen by a veterinarian because she had a mass on her vulva. Over the next four months, this mass grew larger and started to affect the skin around her abdomen and legs, causing swelling in her hind limbs. After taking samples for testing, the results showed that she had mycosis fungoides, which is a type of skin cancer caused by certain immune cells. Unfortunately, because the cancer had spread deeply into her tissues, the outlook for her recovery was not good.
Abstract
A 17-year-old Quarter Horse mare was examined to determine the cause of a vulvar mass. Differential diagnoses for the swollen, ulcerated tissue included hypersensitivity reaction to insect stings or bites and cutaneous neoplasia. During the next 4 months, the mass enlarged involving the skin of the perineum and ventral aspect of the abdomen with secondary dependent edema of both hind limbs. Histologic examination of biopsy and necropsy specimens revealed changes consistent with a diagnosis of mycosis fungoides (cutaneous T-cell lymphoma). Diagnostic features included invasion of neoplastic lymphocytes into the epidermis and detection of T-cell lineage of neoplastic cells. Location of lesions at a mucocutaneous junction, association with epidermal ulcers, and progressive skin involvement mimic the condition in human beings and other species. Prognosis is poor when the condition is at the tumor stage (invasion of deep tissues).
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9491164/