Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Pythiosis with bone lesions in a pregnant mare.
- Journal:
- Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
- Year:
- 2000
- Authors:
- Worster, A A et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Clinical Sciences · United States
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A 9-year-old pregnant mare had a wound on her left front leg that hadn’t healed for 8 weeks. A mass was found around the bone in her leg, and X-rays showed some changes to the bone. Tests showed that she had an infection caused by a type of fungus called Pythium. She was treated with antibiotics, special dressings, and other medications, but her bone issues got worse. Eventually, she had surgery to remove the infected tissue and part of the bone, and she recovered well, giving birth to a healthy foal afterward.
Abstract
A 9-year-old pregnant mare was referred for evaluation of a nonhealing wound of 8 weeks' duration on the lateral aspect of the left forelimb. A soft tissue mass encircled the proximal two thirds of the metacarpus; radiography revealed a moderate periosteal reaction affecting metacarpal bone i.v. Histologic and immunohistochemical examinations revealed eosinophilic granulomatous inflammation and Pythium sp in the soft tissues. The mare was treated for 12 days with antimicrobials, medicated wound dressings, debridement, and i.v. administration of sodium iodide; radiography revealed progression of the bone lesions. The mare was treated by regional arterial perfusion with miconazole and excision of affected soft tissues and the distal two thirds of metacarpal bone i.v. The mare recovered without complications and gave birth to a healthy foal. Regional perfusion of antifungal agents provides high concentrations in soft and osseous tissues and permits use of low dosages of agents administered by other routes, which reduces cost, adverse effects, and teratogenic effects.
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/10844973/