Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Primary sinonasal malignant melanoma with systemic metastasis in a non-gray horse.
- Journal:
- Journal of veterinary diagnostic investigation : official publication of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Inc
- Year:
- 2021
- Authors:
- Hatai, Hitoshi et al.
- Affiliation:
- Departments of Pathogenetic and Preventive Veterinary Science.
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A 27-year-old bay-colored Anglo-Arabian gelding was brought to the vet because of a swelling on the left side of his face. Tests showed that his left maxillary sinus was filled with dark tissue, which was later identified as malignant melanoma, a type of cancer. Despite not having the gray coat color gene, the horse's condition worsened over the next three months, leading to his euthanasia. An autopsy revealed that the cancer had spread significantly, affecting not only the nasal area but also lymph nodes and organs like the spleen and liver. Unfortunately, the treatment did not work, and the horse had to be euthanized due to the extensive spread of the disease.
Abstract
A 27-y-old Anglo-Arabian gelding with bay coat color was presented with a swelling of the left maxillary region. Fenestration on the left maxilla revealed that the left maxillary sinus was filled with black-red tissue. A portion of the tissue was excised and diagnosed histologically as malignant melanoma. Genotyping of thegene for gray coat color revealed that the horse did not have the "gray" factor. The horse was euthanized ~3 mo after first presentation. During autopsy, a black-to-gray mass extended from the left nasal cavity to the surrounding paranasal sinus and invaded the hard palate, cribriform plate, and the cranial portion of the left olfactory bulb. Moreover, identical black nodules were present in lymph nodes from the mandible to the larynx, and in the spleen, liver, kidney, and adrenal glands. However, masses were not found in the skin, perineal region, or pelvic cavity. All of the black-to-gray nodules were malignant melanomas that were histologically identical to the initial biopsy; tumor emboli were also found in the kidney. Sinonasal mucosal melanoma is a rare disease in horses.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33292086/