Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Multicentric leiomyosarcoma in a young male horse.
- Journal:
- Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
- Year:
- 2003
- Authors:
- MacGillivray, Katherine Cole et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Clinical Studies · United States
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A 2-year-old male Thoroughbred horse was examined because he had several firm, raised lumps on his upper and lower jaw that had been there since he was 6 months old. Initially diagnosed with fibrosarcoma (a type of cancer) when he was a yearling, the horse later developed noisy breathing and became restless after exercise. Tests showed that his nasal passages and throat were severely narrowed, and X-rays revealed multiple round bone lesions in his jaw, long bones, and neck. A biopsy confirmed that he had leiomyosarcoma (another type of cancer) with widespread bone involvement. Because the cancer was so widespread, the outlook was not good, and four years later, the horse had not been able to continue his athletic activities.
Abstract
A 2-year-old male Thoroughbred was evaluated for multiple firm, raised nodules of the maxilla and mandible that had been present since 6 months of age. The horse was evaluated as a yearling with a final histologic diagnosis of fibrosarcoma. As a 2-year-old, the colt made a loud upper airway sound and was agitated after strenuous exercise. Results of upper airway endoscopy indicated severe narrowing of the nasal passages and pharynx with normal resting function. Radiography revealed multiple circular bony lesions in the mandible, maxilla, multiple long bones, and cervical vertebrae. Biopsy specimens of the left mandible and right facial bone were obtained. A diagnosis of leiomyosarcoma with extensive metastatic bone formation was made on the basis of histologic features and the immunohistochemical staining properties of the biopsy specimens. Because of the diffuse distribution of the lesions, prognosis was guarded; 4 years after diagnosis, the horse had not pursued an athletic career.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14552492/