Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Idiopathic granulomatous disease involving the skin in a horse.
- Journal:
- Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
- Year:
- 1990
- Authors:
- Heath, S E et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Veterinary Internal Medicine · Canada
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A horse was diagnosed with a condition called idiopathic granulomatous disease, which caused it to feel depressed, have swollen lymph nodes, scaly skin, and swelling in its lower legs. The diagnosis was confirmed by examining tissue samples that showed granulomas, which are clusters of immune cells, in both the lymph nodes and skin, while ruling out other possible causes. The horse responded well to treatment with corticosteroids, which are medications that reduce inflammation. Interestingly, the symptoms and treatment response in this horse were different from what is typically described in textbooks for this condition. Overall, the treatment worked effectively for this horse.
Abstract
Clinical signs of generalized granulomatous disease in a horse included depression, generalized lymphadenopathy, scaly skin, and dependent edema. Diagnosis was confirmed histopathologically by diffuse granulomas in more than one organ system (lymph nodes and skin), and by ruling out etiologic agents. Response to treatment with corticosteroids was favorable. The clinical features and response to treatment in this horse were different from classic textbook descriptions of equine generalized granulomatous disease. Equine granulomatous disease appears to be comparable to human sarcoidosis. To avoid confusion between human medical and veterinary medical terminology, the authors suggest that the equine disease be referred to as equine idiopathic granulomatous disease and that a complete diagnostic description should include a reference to the organ systems involved.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2243035/