Post traumatic keratouveitis in horses

Abstract

Summary Traumatic keratouveitis in horses is characterised by a unilateral, aseptic, vascularising keratitis accompanied by moderate to severe anterior uveitis. In a series of 9 cases of post traumatic keratouveitis, topical and systemic nonsteroidal drugs and atropine were used to control the anterior uveitis while allowing spontaneous corneal healing. Among the 9 cases reported, 6 affected eyes previously treated with local corticosteroids took significantly longer to resolve when compared to 3 eyes in which corticosteroids had not been administered. It was concluded that, in cases of equine post traumatic keratouveitis, locally administered corticosteroids inhibit healing of damaged corneal stroma and, by prolonging the keratitis, perpetuate the concurrent anterior uveitis.

Immune‐mediated keratitis in horses: 19 cases (1998–2004)

“…with loss of corneal epithelium) keratitis is commonly caused by trauma, and delayed healing of corneal lesions is frequently associated with development of secondary infections 1,5,7,8,10–13 . Nonulcerative keratopathies in horses are characterized as chronic corneal lesions with cellular infiltrate, vascularization, and variable degrees of ocular discomfort 2,3,5,6,9,14–18 . Causes of nonulcerative keratitis in the horse include onchocerciasis, 19,20 bacterial infections, 1 fungal infections, 7,8,10–13,21–23 infiltrative neoplasia, 24,25 corneal degeneration 9 and immune‐mediated inflammation 3,9,15,16,26 .…”

“…Causes of nonulcerative keratitis in the horse include onchocerciasis, 19,20 bacterial infections, 1 fungal infections, 7,8,10–13,21–23 infiltrative neoplasia, 24,25 corneal degeneration 9 and immune‐mediated inflammation 3,9,15,16,26 . Stromal abscess, 2,5,27 which may be associated with penetrating trauma and deposition of organisms or foreign material, and keratouveitis 3,16–18 are interstitial keratopathies that are well described in the literature and are characterized clinically as yellow to white corneal lesions that are associated with severe secondary uveitis and ocular discomfort. Chronic corneal opacities with mild to moderate cellular infiltrate and vascularization, without secondary uveitis or severe ocular discomfort, and not associated with infectious agents, have been observed in horses and may constitute immune‐mediated keratitis 9 …”

“…1,5,7,8,[10][11][12][13] Nonulcerative keratopathies in horses are characterized as chronic corneal lesions with cellular infiltrate, vascularization, and variable degrees of ocular discomfort. 2,3,5,6,9,[14][15][16][17][18] Causes of nonulcerative keratitis in the horse include onchocerciasis, 19,20 bacterial infections, 1 fungal infections, 7,8,[10][11][12][13][21][22][23] infiltrative neoplasia, 24,25 corneal degeneration 9 and immune-mediated inflammation. 3,9,15,16,26 Stromal abscess, 2,5,27 which may be associated with penetrating trauma and deposition of organisms or foreign material, and keratouveitis 3,[16][17][18] are interstitial keratopathies that are well described in the literature and are characterized clinically as yellow to white corneal lesions that are associated with severe secondary uveitis and ocular discomfort.…”

The outcome of pars plana vitrectomy in horses with equine recurrent uveitis with regard to the presence or absence of intravitreal antibodies against various serovars of Leptospira interrogans

“…In central Europe it is prudent to consider any equine uveitis to be ERU until proven otherwise. There are of course, other forms of uveitis, especially those associated with blunt or sharp trauma (Habin 1994, Moore et al 1998, Grahn and Cullen 2000. Iridocyclitis and chorioretinitis have been seen in foals with septicemia (Latimer and Wyman 1985), and we have seen bilateral anterior uveitis in a foal with an umbilical infection and bacteremia.…”

Nonulcerative bullous keratitis associated with Pseudomonas alcaligenes infection in a Thoroughbred mare

“…IMMK is differentiated from NKU by the absence of severe anterior uveitis, which is a component of NKU, although both are believed to have an immune-mediated but not an obvious infectious component. NKU was believed to be a manifestation of systemic infection with Leptospira in one horse (Wada et al 2003), and was the result of trauma in a series of 9 cases (Moore et al 1998). SA, in contrast, is often associated with an infectious aetiology (Hamilton et al 1994).…”