Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Suspensory ligament degeneration associated with pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction in horses.
- Journal:
- Veterinary journal (London, England : 1997)
- Year:
- 2015
- Authors:
- Hofberger, Sina et al.
- Affiliation:
- Equine Clinic
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
In older horses, a condition called pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) can lead to problems with the suspensory ligament (SL), which helps support their legs. A study looked at the SLs of four horses aged 17 to 26 years with signs of PPID and compared them to SLs from four older horses and three younger horses. The researchers found that the SLs in horses with PPID showed signs of damage, including disorganized collagen fibers and unusual accumulations of substances that shouldn't be there. These changes are similar to what is seen in other animals and people with similar conditions. Overall, the study suggests that there is a link between the degeneration of the suspensory ligament and PPID in older horses.
Abstract
In older horses, pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) and suspensory ligament (SL) degeneration are common. The aim of the present study was to identify histopathological changes in the SL in horses with PPID. SLs of four horses with clinical signs of PPID (17-26 years of age) were compared with SLs from four old horses (18-31 years of age) and three young horses (4-9 years of age). In horses with PPID, there was reduced longitudinal arrangement of collagen fibres in SLs, along with inclusions of cartilage, extracellular matrix and haemorrhage, as well as significant proteoglycan accumulations between SL fibres. These changes are similar to the degeneration of connective tissues in Peruvian Paso horses with SL degeneration and in humans with Cushing's disease or after long term high dose corticosteroid treatments. These findings indicate an association between degeneration of the SL and PPID.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25641552/