Main symptom “chronic blood loss” in two horses with haemangiosarcoma

Chronische Blutungsanämie bei zwei Pferden mit Hämangiosarkom

Reischauer A, Grosche A, Gieseler T, Jäger K, Huth H, Schoon H-A

DOI: 10.21836/PEM20060204
Year: 2006
Volume: 22
Issue: 2
Pages: 131-139

This paper presents clinical, laboratory and pathomorphological results of two horses showing different manifestations of a haemangiosarcoma. Two thoroughbred mares, 18 (case 1) and 16 (case 2) years of age, had shown apathy, anaemia, tachycardia and dyspnoe for two weeks. Furthermore, case 1 had revealed subcutaneous and intramuscular swellings which had begun its apple-sized growth from the left dorsocaudal body region and had already reached the scapular area. After ultrasonographic and bioptic investigations the alteration was characterized to be “a haematoma and a haemorrhagic and necrotizing myositis”. Case 1 showed a haemothorax and a haemascos. In addition to that a firm and nodular spleen as well as multiple hypoechogenic areas up to a size of 3 cm in both kidneys could be found by rectal ultrasonography. In the bone marrow biopsy of this mare multiple bleedings as well as medullary space fibrosis and histiocytosis could be seen. Neither the cytology nor the biopsy revealed potentially tumorous cell material. Haematocrit and red cell count were severely decreased in both animals. Furthermore a leucopenia, azotaemia and an increased LDH-activity were found. In case 2 a hyperbilirubinaemia and a rising increase of the muscle enzymes CK and ASAT were additionally diagnosed. In both animals, the analysis of blood coagulation revealed a thrombocytopenia, a prolonged prothrombin time and a hypofibrinogenaemia. In case 1 the direct and in case 2 the indirect Coombs-test showed a positive titre. A treatment with corticoids and blood transfusions for several days and further symptomatic therapies led only to a short lasting success. The general condition of both mares deteriorated and the animals were euthanasized. In the autopsy and the histopathological investigations the diagnosis of a haemangiosarcoma was made in both horses. In case 1 the tumour had become manifest in the spleen, liver, kidneys, heart, adrenal glands, lungs, brain, muscle, bone and bone marrow. In case 2, on the contrary, besides distinct, polyphasic bleeding, necrosis and reactive myositis only microtumours in the skeletal muscles of the left body side were found solely by histopathology.