Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Lingual Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Two Horses.
- Journal:
- Journal of equine veterinary science
- Year:
- 2019
- Authors:
- Morrison, M Lane et al.
- Affiliation:
- Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
Two horses, a 12-year-old American Quarter Horse mare and an 18-year-old American Saddlebred stallion, were taken to a veterinary hospital because they were losing weight, having trouble swallowing, and drooling more than usual. The veterinarians did a thorough check-up, which included taking X-rays of their skulls, examining their mouths, running blood tests, and taking a tissue sample from a growth on the tongue. Both horses were diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma (a type of cancer) in their tongues. Sadly, one horse was euthanized because of the diagnosis, but the other horse received radiation therapy, which seemed to slow down the cancer's growth.
Abstract
Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is one of the most common malignant neoplasms in horses, but lingual SCC has seldom been reported. On separate occasions, a 12-year-old American Quarter Horse mare and an 18-year-old American Saddlebred stallion were presented to the Auburn University Large Animal Teaching Hospital for evaluation of weight loss, dysphagia, and ptyalism. Evaluation of each horse included physical examination, skull radiographs, oral examination, complete blood count and serum biochemistry profile, endoscopic evaluation of the mouth, and biopsy of tissue from a lesion found on the tongue. Histopathologic assessment of tissue harvested from the lingual lesions led to a diagnosis of SCC in each case. The diagnosis prompted euthanasia for one horse, but radiation therapy appeared to delay the progression of the lesion in the other horse.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31405497/