Neurological signs in a horse due to metastases of an intestinal adenocarcinoma

Abstract

Mandigers PJ, Nes jJ van, Knol BW, Ubbink GJ, and Gruys E. J Vet Intern Med 1992; 6: 175- SUMMARYA 22-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare was referred to Utrecht University with progressive left hind limb paresis and hyporeflexia. The preliminary clinical diagnosis was the neurological form of equine herpes virus (EHV-1) infection. Within 1 day of admission, the mare became recumbent and deteriorated rapidly. Postmortem examination revealed an adenocarcinoma of the caecum, with metastases in all regional lymph nodes and extending from the lumbar nodes into the vertebral canal, causing spinal cord compression and destruction of the left 4th and 5th lumbar nerves.

Intestinal adenocarcinoma in ponies: Clinical and pathological findings

“…), adrenal gland, mesentery and urethra (Spoormakers et al . ). Usually, metastasis has already occurred by the time of post‐mortem diagnosis (Roy et al .…”

“…While Thoroughbreds are overrepresented (Wright and Edwards ; Harvey‐Micay ), IACs also occur in various Warmbloods (Spoormakers et al . ), as well as Andalusians (Muñoz Moran et al . ) or Haflinger ponies (Kirchhoff et al .…”

“…At pathomorphological examination, metastases might be present in regional lymph nodes (Harvey‐Micay ; Spoormakers et al . ; Jann et al . ), spleen (Jann et al .…”

“…IACs represent the second most common enteric neoplasm in horses, with lymphoma identified most commonly (Taylor et al 2006). While Thoroughbreds are overrepresented (Wright and Edwards 1984;Harvey-Micay 1999), IACs also occur in various Warmbloods (Spoormakers et al 2001), as well as Andalusians (Muñoz Moran et al 2008) or Haflinger ponies (Kirchhoff et al 1996). By the time clinical signs are observed, tumour proliferation is often extensive (Taylor et al 2006).…”

Spinal neoplasms: Ante mortem diagnostics and therapeutic options

“…In the current issue, Hirsch et al (2009) describe 2 horses that presented with cervical spinal cord disease, one of which was diagnosed with lymphohistiocytic lymphosarcoma and the other with haemangiosarcoma. In horses, the most commonly reported spinal tumour is melanoma (Traver et al 1977;Schott et al 1990;Tyler et al 1993;Rodriguez et al 1998;Patterson-Kane et al 2001), but others such as fibrosarcoma (Reinertson 1974), intestinal adenosarcoma (Spoormakers et al 2001), lymphoma (Lester et al 1992), pheochromocytoma (Froscher and Power 1982), plasma cell myeloma (Drew andGreatorex 1974), sarcomas (van Biervliet et al 2004), squamous cell carcinoma (Patterson et al 1990), as well as the here reported haemangiosarcoma (Newton-Clarke et al 1994;Berry 1999) and lymphosarcoma (Kannegieter and Alley 1987;Hartmann et al 1988;Zeman et al 1989;Gliatto and Alroy 1995) have been reported in the literature. In man, metastases arising from breast, prostate, kidney or lung cancer are the most common epidural tumours (Heidecke et al 2003).…”