Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Horse gradually going blind due to tuberculosis
By Leifsson, P S et al.·Published in The Veterinary record·Department of Pharmacology and Pathobiology·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Ocular tuberculosis in a horse.
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
This case report describes a horse that developed a serious form of tuberculosis affecting its eyes. Over time, the horse lost weight and became increasingly blind in both eyes. Unfortunately, the horse was eventually put to sleep due to the severity of its condition. Tests revealed that the horse had widespread infection from a type of bacteria called Mycobacterium avium, which caused inflammation and damage in various organs, including the heart and lungs. Sadly, the treatment did not work, leading to the decision to euthanize the horse.
Abstract
This paper is the first report of systemic tuberculosis involving the eyes in a horse. The animal lost condition and gradually became increasingly blind in both eyes; it was eventually euthanased. The pathological findings included bilateral, mycobacterial granulomatous uveitis with unilateral retinal detachment and necrosis, and disseminated, mycobacterial granulomatous foci in the myocardium, lungs, bronchial lymph nodes, kidneys, liver, pancreas, colon and visceral serosal surfaces, with the most extensive lesions in the myocardium. The mycobacteria were identified as Mycobacterium avium.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9466385/