Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Vascular hamartoma as the cause of hind limb lameness in a horse.
- Journal:
- Journal of veterinary medicine. A, Physiology, pathology, clinical medicine
- Year:
- 2006
- Authors:
- Saifzadeh, S et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Clinical Sciences
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A 5-year-old gelding (a male horse that has been castrated) had been limping for two months due to a rare, non-cancerous tumor located just under the skin of his hind leg. When the veterinarian examined him, everything seemed normal, and tests showed no issues with his bones or other vital signs. They were able to draw out some bloody fluid from the area and then surgically removed the tumor. A closer look at the tumor revealed it was a vascular hamartoma, which means it was made up of abnormal blood vessels. The treatment was successful, and the horse's lameness was likely caused by this unusual growth.
Abstract
We report a 5-year-old gelding with a rare benign tumour of 2-month duration in the subcutis of the hind limb that presented with lameness. Physical examination revealed normal vital signs. Laboratory findings were within normal ranges. No bone abnormalities were detected on radiographic examination of the affected area. Bloody fluid was obtained by aspiration. Through an I-shape skin incision the tumour was excised en-block. Microscopic study showed a vascular hamartoma characterized by cavernous haemangiomatous tissue and proliferation of multiple vessels of variable diameter. This report highlights the importance of limb vascular hamartoma, as an infrequent lesion, in the differential diagnosis of lameness in the horse.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16629955/