Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Severe complication after administration of formalin for treatment of progressive ethmoidal hematoma in a horse.
- Journal:
- Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
- Year:
- 2001
- Authors:
- Frees, K E et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Clinical Sciences · United States
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
An 18-year-old Arabian gelding was treated for a progressive ethmoidal hematoma (a type of growth in the nasal area) by injecting formalin, but this led to serious problems. Shortly after the injection, the horse showed unusual neurological signs, and despite medical treatment, he did not improve and was put to sleep. A postmortem examination showed that the formalin had caused damage to a part of the skull, allowing it to affect the brain. Although endoscopy and X-rays were done before he was euthanized, they did not reveal the extent of the damage. This case suggests that using a CT scan before treating similar conditions might help identify any underlying issues.
Abstract
Formalin was injected into an ethmoidal hematoma in an 18-year-old Arabian gelding. Abnormal neurologic signs were observed within minutes of the injection. The horse did not respond favorably to medical treatment of the neurologic signs and was euthanatized. Postmortem examination revealed erosion and necrosis of the ventral cribriform plate, which appeared to have allowed the injected formalin to reach the rostral portion of the frontal lobe of the brain. Endoscopy and radiography had been performed prior to euthanasia, but neither delineated the cribriform lesion. Before treating large progressive ethmoidal hematomas with formalin, it may be beneficial to perform computed tomography to assess the extent of damage caused by the lesion.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11601791/