Ataxia due to vertebral hemangiosarcoma with evidence of disseminated disease in a 20-year old Swiss Warmblood mare

Unger, Lucia; Göpfert, Christine; Berruex, Fanny Celine; Gorgas, Daniela; Gerber, Vinzenz; Posthaus, Horst (2013). Ataxia due to vertebral hemangiosarcoma with evidence of disseminated disease in a 20-year old Swiss Warmblood mare. Pferdeheilkunde, 29(4), pp. 452-456. Hippiatrika Verlagsgesellschaft

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A 20-year old Swiss Warmblood mare was referred to the Swiss Institute of Equine Medicine with a history of poor performance, coughing and ataxia and hindlimb weakness which progressed to recumbency. Lung auscultation revealed pronounced wheezing, blood work showed signs of chronic inflammation and increased bone turnover and thoracic ultrasound indicated patchy pulmonary consolidation. Cerebrospinal fluid revealed only mild, unspecific changes allowing exclusion of meningoencephalomyelitis and clinically relevant bleeding.
Despite medical treatment and support in a sling the mare did not improve and was euthanized. Necropsy revealed a poorly demarcated, non-encapsulated and invasively growing mass dorsally in the musculature at the level of the forth cervical vertebra (C4) infiltrating the vertebral body and the spinal canal at the level of C1–C2. Multiple nodular, firm masses were present in all lobes of the lung and appeared to be mainly located in vessels. Histologically the masses were composed of spindle cells with marked anisocytosis, anisocaryosis, a high mitotic activity and showed invasive growth. These neoplastic cells stained positive for CD31, an endothelial cell marker, which confirmed diagnosis of a hemangiosarcoma. Definite ante mortem diagnosis of hemangiosarcoma, which is rare in horses, is challenging. Besides the vertebral localization, disseminated, locally invasive and cutaneous forms of hemangiosarcoma exist and can be either acquired or congenital. Prognosis for equine hemangiosarcoma and response to treatment are usually poor and progression of clinical signs is rapid. Vertebral hemangiosarcoma is an uncommon cause of spinal ataxia in horses.

Item Type:	Journal Article (Original Article)
Division/Institute:	05 Veterinary Medicine > Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine (DKV) > DKV - Clinical Radiology 05 Veterinary Medicine > Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology (DIP) > Institute of Animal Pathology 05 Veterinary Medicine > Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine (DKV) > ISME Equine Clinic Bern > ISME Equine Clinic, Internal medicine 05 Veterinary Medicine > Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine (DKV)
UniBE Contributor:	Unger, Lucia, Göpfert, Christine, Berruex, Fanny Celine, Schweizer, Daniela Esther, Gerber, Vinzenz, Posthaus, Horst
Subjects:	600 Technology > 630 Agriculture
ISSN:	0177-7726
Publisher:	Hippiatrika Verlagsgesellschaft
Language:	German
Submitter:	Susanne Portner
Date Deposited:	28 Jul 2014 11:45
Last Modified:	05 Dec 2022 14:31
Uncontrolled Keywords:	neoplasia, hemangiosarcoma, vertebral, horse, spinal ataxia, metastasis
URI:	https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/46893