Summary Equine multinodular pulmonary fibrosis (EMPF) associated with herpesvirus‐5 infection (EHV‐5), is a severe, fibrosing interstitial lung disease of horses. Most common reported clinical signs are pyrexia, weight loss, depression, respiratory distress with tachypnoea and cough. Multiple tissue tropism of the EHV‐5 has been suggested. Treatment with valacyclovir and corticosteroids has been reported to be successful in a few cases, but the disease is usually associated with a poor prognosis because of progressive impairment of respiratory function. Corticosteroid administration can carry potential side effects, such as hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis suppression, laminitis and increased susceptibility to infections. This report described a case of an 11‐year‐old gelding diagnosed with EMPF. The horse was treated with valacyclovir and corticosteroids and, after a transient initial improvement, showed a rapid deterioration of clinical signs and multiple complications, including severe bacterial dermatitis, liver damage and pleural effusion of unknown origin. A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay of liver biopsy sample was positive for EHV‐5, confirming the virus' multiple tissue tropism. A role of corticosteroids in exacerbating the disease progression and the increasing susceptibility to infections was strongly suspected.
Summary A 16‐year‐old mare was presented as an emergency to the Equine Hospital of the Veterinary School of Lyon, with a 1‐month history of respiratory distress. On admission the mare was in poor body condition, with severe inspiratory and expiratory dyspnoea associated with severe hypoxaemia and marked tachycardia. Wheezes were auscultated. A pulmonary biopsy revealed fibrosis of about 40% of the parenchyma. Following an episode of atrial fibrillation, an echocardiogram was carried out which revealed signs of pulmonary hypertension, consistent with cor pulmonale. Despite the lack of aetiologic explanation for the primary pulmonary disease, the general condition of the mare improved with the administration of high‐dosed corticoids and antimicrobial therapy.
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