Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Horse with weight loss and lethargy diagnosed with spleen cancer
By Nyack, B et al.·Published in Modern veterinary practice·1984·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Splenic lymphosarcoma in a horse.
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A 10-year-old Tennessee Walker gelding was experiencing ongoing weight loss, occasional belly pain, and low energy. He also had a slight fever, a fast heartbeat, trouble breathing, pale gums, fluid buildup in his abdomen, and swelling in his lower body. Blood tests showed he was anemic and had an unusual white blood cell count, along with low protein levels. A procedure to remove fluid from his abdomen revealed a lot of red blood cells, and a rectal exam found a large mass in his abdomen. Unfortunately, the horse died shortly after the mass was removed, and it was later diagnosed as lymphosarcoma, a type of cancer affecting the spleen, liver, and lungs.
Abstract
A 10-year-old Tennessee Walker gelding, with a history of progressive weight loss, intermittent colic and lethargy, had a slight fever, tachycardia, tachypnea, pallor, ascites and marked ventral edema. Blood analyses revealed anemia, leukocytosis, neutrophilia with a left shift, lymphopenia, monocytosis, hypoproteinemia and a slightly increased SDH level. Abdominocentesis produced red-orange fluid with many RBC and an increased fibrinogen content. Rectal palpation revealed a large mass in the left caudal abdominal quadrant. The animal died shortly after resection of the mass. The histopathologic diagnosis was lymphosarcoma, involving the spleen, liver and lung.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6547505/