Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Corneal stromal abscesses in the horse: a review of 24 cases.
- Journal:
- Equine veterinary journal
- Year:
- 1995
- Authors:
- Hendrix, D V et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences · United States
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
This study looked at 24 horses that had corneal stromal abscesses, which are infections in the eye. Most of these horses showed signs of eye pain, had corneal ulcers, or cloudy areas on their corneas. They were treated with antibiotic eye drops and other medications before being referred to a specialist. Some horses improved quickly with medical treatment alone, while others needed surgery because their condition was worsening or not responding to medication. In the end, all but one horse, which had to have its eye removed due to a severe issue, were able to see when they were sent home.
Abstract
The medical records of 24 horses with corneal stromal abscesses were reviewed. Twenty of the horses initially presented with a corneal ulcer, corneal opacity, or evidence of ocular pain. All of the horses were treated with topical antibiotics prior to referral. Most had also been treated with topical atropine sulphate and systemic flunixin meglumine. Ophthalmic examinations revealed focal, yellow-white corneal opacities, corneal vascularisation and evidence of iridocyclitis. Nine of the horses were treated primarily medically as the initial response to topical and systemic medication was rapid. Fifteen horses were treated both medically and surgically. Surgical treatment was undertaken when corneal rupture was imminent, the iridocyclitis was intractable or when there was minimal response to intensive medical therapy. The surgical procedure performed in most cases was a deep keratectomy with a conjunctival pedicle flap. Intraoperative specimens for cytology, culture, and/or histopathology contributed to the aetiological diagnosis in 5 of 8 cases in which preoperative cytology and cultures were nondiagnostic. All horses, excluding one that was enucleated at presentation for iris prolapse, had vision at discharge.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8565941/