Ophthalmic lesions in neonatal foals evaluated for nonophthalmic disease at referral hospitals

Prevalence of anterior uveitis in cases of systemic inflammatory response syndrome in dogs and cats

OBJECTIVE

To determine the prevalence of anterior uveitis in dogs and cats hospitalized with a diagnosis of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS).

ANIMALS STUDIED

Dogs and cats hospitalized between May 2020 and January 2021 were prospectively included.

PROCEDURES

Patients were categorized into two different groups: The first group included patients diagnosed with SIRS, and the second group included patients hospitalized without SIRS as a control group. Daily physical and ophthalmological examinations were conducted during hospitalization. Diagnosis of anterior uveitis was made based on the presence of aqueous flare, low intraocular pressure, and other associated ocular signs such as episcleral injection and miosis. A multinomial logistic regression analysis was conducted to investigate factors associated with SIRS and anterior uveitis development.

RESULTS

The study comprised 42 patients with SIRS and 26 patients without SIRS. Among those with SIRS, 38% developed anterior uveitis, whereas only 7.7% of patients without SIRS showed signs of anterior uveitis. The prevalence of uveitis was significantly higher in animals with SIRS compared to those without SIRS (p < .05).

CONCLUSION

Anterior uveitis is more prevalent in patients with SIRS than patients without SIRS. Therefore, complete ophthalmic examination is recommended in all patients presenting with this syndrome.

Comparison of entropion outcome with and without intervention in Romane and Ile de France sheep breeds

BACKGROUND

Congenital entropion is the most frequent ocular disorder in newborn lambs of certain sheep breeds, which, if not treated, can result in complete blindness and death due to starvation.

OBJECTIVES

The aims of this study were to compare the spontaneous healing of entropion in two breeds and assess the outcome of cases with and without therapeutic intervention.

METHODS

A total of 158 entropion cases (119 Ile de France and 39 Romane) were investigated, and swab samples were collected from the cornea and conjunctiva of 73 of the affected lambs for bacteriological investigation. In addition, an ocular intervention was carried out in 123 affected animals.

RESULTS

The Romane breed developed entropion at an average age of 7 days compared to the Ile de France, which developed it at an average age of 1 day. Likewise, significant differences were found between bilateral and unilateral involvement in both breeds. Meanwhile, 22.1% of cases recovered spontaneously, and the highest rate of spontaneous recovery without intervention was observed in the Romane breed (66%). Bacteria isolated from ocular samples included Staphylococcus spp. (42.5%), Bacillus spp. (21.9%), Trueperella pyogenes (13.7%), Corynebacterium spp. (12.3%) and Escherichia coli (9.6%).

CONCLUSIONS

The results of the study showed that the onset time of entropion, bilateral involvement, the severity of the process and the need for re-treatment were higher in the Ile de France breed than in the Romane breed. Likewise, the Romane breed showed a higher degree of spontaneous recovery of entropion.

LACRIMAL SECRETION VARIATION AND MENACE RESPONSE APPEARANCE IN HEALTHY STANDARDBRED FOALS FROM BIRTH TO FOUR WEEKS OF AGE

This study assesses lacrimal secretion in healthy foals within 48 hours after birth and evaluates their variations in lacrimal secretion and menace response appearance during the first month of life. A total of 31 Standardbred foals were evaluated. Foals were housed with their dams in 4 × 4 m boxes throughout the study. A complete ophthalmic examination was performed for each animal enrolled in the study, including the foals' dams which were used as a control group to compare the lacrimal secretion of foals at birth with that of adult horses. In foals, the Schirmer Tear Test I (STT I) and menace response were evaluated within 48 hours after birth (T0) and weekly for a total of four times (T1, T2, T3, and T4). In mares, the STT I was evaluated once, before delivery. The Schirmer Tear Test I results of 11 out of 31 dams were excluded because of signs of ocular adnexa inflammation which might otherwise have influenced lacrimal secretion. At T0 STT I values in foals (19.11±2.49 mm/min) were lower than those of their dams (23.20 ± 1.83 mm/min). In addition, the mean STT I in foals decreased during the study period and reached its nadir at T3 (16.84 ± 2.33 mm/min). None of the foals showed a menace response at any observation point. In conclusion, within 48 hours after birth healthy Standardbred foals show a lower lacrimal secretion than their dams, and tear secretion does not seem to increase during the first month of life. In this period, poor lacrimation associated with the absence of an evident menace response might be predisposing factors for developing corneal ulcers.

Comparison of two rebound tonometers in healthy horses

Objective

To obtain a reference range for evaluation of intraocular pressure (IOP) in horses using Tonovet Plus^®, to compare the IOP readings obtained with Tonovet^® and Tonovet Plus^®, and to evaluate the repeatability of readings.

Animals studied and Procedures

Intraocular pressure of 30 client‐owned horses (60 eyes) with no signs of illness or ocular disease was evaluated using Tonovet^® and Tonovet Plus^® rebound tonometers. Horses’ mean age was 10.7 (range 6‐17) years. Triplicate measurements were performed without using sedatives or local anesthetics, with minimal restraint.

Results

Calculated reference intervals (the CLSI robust method) were 14.4‐27.2 mmHg for Tonovet^® and 16.0‐26.1 mmHg for Tonovet Plus^®. Mean values (± standard deviation, SD [± coefficient of variation, CV]) obtained with Tonovet Plus^® (21.6 ± 2.45 mmHg [11.3%]) were on average 0.6 mmHg higher than with Tonovet^® (21.0 ± 3.14 mmHg [15.0%]), and a negligible statistical difference between the devices was found using the paired sample t test (P = .049). The correlation coefficient for the averaged triplicate measurements was 0.73. The average CV was 4.6% and 4.4% for Tonovet^® and Tonovet Plus^®, respectively.

Conclusions

The repeatability of measurements was very good with both devices. The readings between the two devices differed statistically significantly, but the correlation was considered good and the variation was numerically small, and thus, the difference was considered clinically irrelevant. When monitoring disease process or treatment response in an individual patient, repeated readings are best performed using a similar device to avoid false interpretation of results.

The prevalence of ocular diseases in polish Arabian horses

Background

Equine ocular diseases pose a medical challenge due to long-lasting and cost-consuming therapies as well as economic issues associated with potential decrease in value of affected horses. The scale of the problem is significant but difficult to precisely define because epidemiological data is limited and lacks consistency in presentation. To date, no retrospective studies specifically investigating Arabian horses have been published.

Results

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the prevalence of ocular lesions and define the ocular diseases present in Arabian horses from breeding farms in Poland. Clinical and ophthalmic examination of 615 Arabian horses at Polish breeding farms (15% of Arabian population in Poland) were performed and medical history from the previous 5 years was analyzed. Data was obtained from review of veterinary archives and epidemiological interview of the resident veterinarian at each farm. The prevalence of ocular diseases was 9.75%. The following pathologies were diagnosed (with their respective prevalence): equine recurrent uveitis (ERU; 5.5%); cataract not related to ERU (3.3%); non-visual eyes (1.13%); posttraumatic lesions (0.8%); glaucoma (0.16%).

Conclusions

In this study, ERU was the most common ocular disease identified in Arabian horses in Poland. Its prevalence was lower than usually reported in Europe and the United States. There was no sex or farm predisposition but ocular disease prevalence increased with age. Other severe ocular pathologies were also observed, confirming that ocular diseases remain an important clinical problem.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12917-017-1252-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

[Incidence and mortality of common neonatal diseases in the foal during the first 10 days post natum in a veterinary hospital]

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to present the incidence and lethality of diseases in foals during the first 10 days following birth by analyzing patient data.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Over a period of 6 years, patient data from 393 foals, that had been presented within the first 10 days after birth in a hospital, were evaluated. The number of diseases, the sex of the affected foals and the lethality were documented.

RESULTS

A total of 28 diseases were diagnosed, with systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), meconium impaction and bronchopneumonia being the most frequent diagnoses. The mortality rate for SIRS was 41.8%, for meconium impaction 29.7% and for bronchopneumonia 37.9%. The mean time of death for patients with SIRS was 4.2   ±   2.9 days, for patients with meconium impaction 4.6 ± 3.2 days and for foals suffering from bronchopneumonia 5.2    ±   3.5 days post partum.

CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Based on the data collection, the frequency and thus the importance of individual disease patterns can be deduced. The information on lethality helps to make predictions for the prognosis of the most common neonatal foal diseases based on first diagnosis.

Clinical findings and survival in 56 sick neonatal New World camelids

BACKGROUND

Information pertaining to clinical presentation and outcome of neonatal New World camelids (NWC) is limited when compared to calves and foals.

HYPOTHESIS

Values of variables at admission and subsequent treatment would predict survival in sick neonatal NWC.

ANIMALS

Fifty-six client-owned sick neonatal NWC presented over a 10-year period to the Purdue University Veterinary Teaching Hospital.

METHODS

A retrospective study was performed. Inclusion criteria were NWC less than 30 days of age with complete medical records that presented between 2000 and 2010.

RESULTS

The median age at presentation was 1 day (range 1-20). The most common diagnoses were systemic inflammatory response syndrome (50%), congenital defects (41%), ophthalmic lesions (21%), sepsis (16%), and gastrointestinal diseases (16%). Sixty-six percent of NWC survived to discharge. Clinicopathologic findings on admission were variable and not specific for disorders. Factors associated with survival were absence of choanal atresia (P = .001, OR: 55.9 [2.5-1,232]), administration of llama plasma (P = .013, OR: 4.9 [1.4-17.7]), and antimicrobial treatment with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMS) (P = .016, OR: 6.5 [1.3-32.2]).

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE

The use of antibiotics, particularly TMS, and llama plasma are recommended in sick neonatal NWC. Results from this study could contribute toward defining a NWC-specific sepsis scoring system.

Assessment of intraocular measurements in neonatal foals and association with gender, laterality, and body weight: a clinical study

Objective of this study was to describe intraocular measurements in newly born foals (1-7 days of age) and assess the association between globe measurements and gender, laterality, and body weight. B-scan ultrasonographic biometry was performed on both eyes of 22 healthy foals (44 eyes) ages 1-7 days using a 10-MHz transducer. Intraocular measurements (anterior chamber depth, central lens thickness, vitreous chamber depth, axial globe length, longitudinal globe length, lens poles distance) were carried out using the ultrasound internal calipers. The influence of gender (male or female), laterality (right or left eye), and body weight ("light" <48 kg; "heavy" ≥48 kg) on ocular measurements was analysed by the Student t test. Values of P<0.05 were accepted as significant for all analyses. Mean anterior chamber depth was 2.2±0.5 mm (Standard Deviation); central lens thickness was 9.9±0.8 mm; vitreous chamber depth was 15.5±1.1 mm; axial globe length was 27.6±1.6 mm; longitudinal globe length was 35.8±1.2 mm, and lens poles distance was 16.4±1.0 mm. Intraocular measurements were not influenced by gender, laterality nor body weight. This study provides reference values for intraocular measurements in neonatal foals and may be useful in the diagnosis and treatment of congenital and acquired pathologies involving the globe.

Microvascular complications and diabetic retinopathy: recent advances and future implications

Retinal microvascular alterations have been observed during diabetic retinopathy (DR) due to the retinal susceptibility towards subtle pathological alterations. Therefore, retinal microvascular pathology is essential to understand the nature of retinal degenerations during DR. In this review, the role of retinal microvasculature complications during progression of DR, along with recent efforts to normalize such alterations for better therapeutic outcome, will be underlined. In addition, current therapeutics and future directions for advancement of standard treatment for DR patients will be discussed.

Ocular abnormalities in healthy Standardbred foals

OBJECTIVE

To determine the prevalence and describe ocular abnormalities in healthy Standardbred foals within 48 h of birth.

ANIMALS

One hundred and two neonatal foals.

PROCEDURES

All foals had an unassisted delivery. On the basis of physical examination and the results of hematological and biochemical parameters, all foals were unaffected by systemic diseases. A complete ophthalmic examination was performed within 48 h of birth. Foals with ocular hemorrhages were re-examined weekly until the abnormalities were resolved.

RESULTS

65/102 (63.7%) foals did not show ocular abnormalities, while in 37/102 (36.3%) cases, ocular abnormalities were present. Retinal and subconjunctival hemorrhages were recorded in 19/102 (18.6%), and in 13/102 (12.7%), respectively. In 4/102 (3.9%) animals, an entropion of the lower eyelid was present. Only one foal (1%) showed a congenital nuclear unilateral cataract. No other ocular abnormalities were detected. However, all foals showed various degrees of remnants of hyaloid system. One week after the first ocular examination, retinal hemorrhages had resolved in 100% of the eyes, whereas subconjunctival hemorrhages had disappeared in all eyes by the second week following the first examination.

CONCLUSIONS

The acquired ocular lesions observed with relatively high frequency in the examined healthy Standardbred foals were ocular hemorrhages, which always showed a good outcome. Although these abnormalities were present at birth, they were not considered strictly congenital but likely acquired during parturition. Instead, congenital ocular abnormalities were rarely diagnosed, and the entropion of the lower eyelid was the most common disease in the breed.

Ophthalmology in equine ambulatory practice

Equine practitioners examine patient eyes on a daily basis. Indications range from inspection of normal anatomy to treatment of traumatized eyes to workups of sight threatening inflammatory or neoplastic ocular conditions. Assessment of equine eyes requires practitioners to take time to create a good "exam room" in the field and administer appropriate restraint, sedation and/or regional anesthesia to facilitate thorough examination. Accurate diagnosis and treatment of equine eye problems requires skill in ocular surface staining and cytology, and basic proficiency in standing surgery. Expertise in digital photography optimizes client education and case management. As some equine eye problems benefit from intense medical treatment or advanced surgical care, practitioners should be familiar with the options offered at specialty centers, and recognize cases that would benefit from referral. Finally, blindness is not uncommon in horses. Practitioners can counsel clients that own blind horses on the best options for managing sight loss.