Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Equine glaucoma: a retrospective study of 13 cases presented at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine from 1992 to 1999.
- Journal:
- The Canadian veterinary journal = La revue veterinaire canadienne
- Year:
- 2000
- Authors:
- Cullen, C L & Grahn, B H
- Affiliation:
- Department of Veterinary Internal Medicine · Canada
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
In a study of 13 horses with glaucoma, a type of eye condition that can lead to blindness, researchers found that most cases were linked to uveitis, which is inflammation inside the eye. The horses ranged in age from just a few weeks to 23 years, with an average age of about 9.5 years, and there were no specific breeds or sexes that were more affected than others. Symptoms included blindness, swelling of the cornea, and other serious eye issues, with elevated pressure inside the eye confirming the diagnosis in most cases. Treatment involved both medical and surgical options, but unfortunately, the results were generally poor, with many horses either being blind when they were first seen or losing their vision shortly after.
Abstract
The prevalence of equine glaucoma seen by the ophthalmology service at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) was 6.5%. The majority of cases (11/13) were associated with clinical manifestations of uveitis. Congenital glaucoma was documented in 1 case, and primary glaucoma was diagnosed in a 12-year-old quarter horse. There were no breed or sex predilections evident. Affected horses were middle-aged to old (average age = 9.5 years, ranging from 2 weeks to 23 years). The clinical manifestations of equine glaucoma included blindness, diffuse corneal edema, corneal vascularization, buphthalmia, corneal striae, recurrent secondary ulcerative keratitis, and less commonly, iris bombé, tapetal hyper-reflectivity, complete pupillary occlusion from posterior synechiae, and optic disc cupping. Elevated intraocular pressure confirmed the diagnosis (n = 10), while 3 cases were normotensive with signs of glaucoma including corneal striae and buphthalmia. Affected eyes were treated medically and/or surgically. Regardless of the therapy instituted, the visual outcome was poor. Most affected eyes were blind at presentation or became blind within a few weeks.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10857031/