Eosinophilic gastroenteritis in a dog

A 9-year-old mixed-breed dog was evaluated for chronic intermittent vomiting, hematemesis, and melena lasting several months. Biopsy specimens obtained during exploratory laparotomy revealed eosinophilic gastroenteritis. Treatment included drug therapy to reduce gastrointestinal inflammation and dietary management to limit antigenic exposure.     

Eosinophilic gastroenteritis in three ferrets.

Eosinophilic gastroenteritis (EGE) is a rarely reported condition of ferrets. This article reviews three cases of suspected EGE in ferrets, summarizes the presenting signs, differential diagnoses, and treatment options, and discusses some question raised by this disease in ferrets. Immune suppression by means of prednisolone therapy is currently the treatment of choice.     

Eosinophilic keratitis in a horse

In this case report a 20-year-old horse with unilateral eosinophilic keratitis is presented. The occurrence, clinical symptoms, histological findings and treatment of this ocular disorder are described and discussed against the background of relevant literature. Local administration of 0.1% dexamethason was successful.     

Eosinophilic gastroenteritis in a domestic ferret

Eosinophilic gastroenteritis without peripheral eosinophilia was diagnosed histologically in a 5-year-old neutered male ferret showing acute signs of projectile vomiting, dark mucoid diarrhea, and chronic weight loss for 2 mo. The ferret was clinically normal after 4 days of treatment with parenteral fluids, antibiotics, and corticosteroids.     

Eosinophilic myeloproliferative disorder in a horse

An eosinophilic myeloproliferative disorder resulted in edema and hemorrhagic diathesis in a 10-month-old Standardbred colt. Laboratory abnormalities included severe thrombocytopenia, anemia, mild hypoproteinemia, and marked eosinophilia. Circulating eosinophils were immature or atypical with variation in granule size, disproportionate nuclear to cytoplasmic maturation, and abnormal nuclear size and shape. Bone marrow aspirate had mainly atypical eosinophil precursors, few erythroid precursors, and no megakaryocytes. A blood transfusion and dexamethasone therapy resulted in some improvement; however, the horse was euthanatized due to poor prognosis. Postmortem examination showed gastrointestinal parasitism; histologically the spleen was infiltrated by atypical eosinophils and there were sites of eosinophilopoiesis. The disease was broadly similar to idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome in people, but typical cardiac and neurologic involvement of hypereosinophilic syndrome were absent. Progressive myelophthesis and marked eosinophil atypia suggested malignancy.     

Haycocknema-like nematodes in muscle fibres of a horse

A 14-year-old horse (imported to Switzerland from Ireland 8 years earlier) showed signs of chewing muscle atrophy. A severe chronic myositis, caused by numerous immature and mature female nematodes, was diagnosed in muscle samples obtained by biopsy and subsequently at necropsy. Most of the nematodes had invaded muscle fibres of the masseter, root of the tongue and anterior breast, only a few were found in the intermuscular interstitium. Isolated nematodes and parasite sections were clearly different from muscle larvae of Trichinella spp. but showed morphological similarities to Haycocknema perplexum, a nematode species (order Enoplida, family Robertdollfusidae) recently found in the musculature of a human patient in Australia. However, our material did not allow the precise identification of the nematode genus nor the unequivocal differentiation from Halicephalobus gingivalis. This species infects horses and humans and can cause severe granuloma formation in muscles and many other organ systems, but has never been observed to invade individual muscle fibres. Our findings show that nematodes of another genus than Trichinella may invade muscle fibres of the horse and cause myositis. These nematodes are provisionally regarded as Haycocknema-like.     

Eosinophilic intestinal diseases of the horse

Eosinophilic intestinal diseases of the horse are not commonly reported. Similar diseases are reported in man, but for either species, these eosinophilic diseases, are poorly understood. Eosinophilic intestinal disease may be accompanied by eosinophilic disease of other organs, or eosinophilia may be restricted to the intestine. When infiltration of eosinophils is restricted to the intestine, horses have a good prognosis for resolution of clinical signs, even though the treatment may include celiotomy with intestinal decompression or resection and administration of a corticosteroid. When eosinophilic intestinal disease is accompanied by infiltration of other organs, such as skin, pancreas, lungs or liver, the horse's prognosis for survival is very poor.     

Verminous encephalitis in a horse produced by nematodes in the family protostrongylidae

Parasitic granulomatous eosinophilic inflammation was observed in the central nervous system (CNS) of a 6-month-old Arabian colt from New York state. Inflammation was associated with eggs, larvae, and adult nematodes in the cerebellum. Nematodes had histological characteristics of the superfamily Metastrongyloidea. The presence of dorsal-spined larvae in the CNS was further indicative of infection with a nematode in the family Protostrongylidae. Infections were most compatible with Parelaphostrongylus tenuis but specific diagnosis was not possible. This is the first definitive report of a protostrongylid nematode infection in a horse.     

Eosinophilic gastroenteritis complicated by partial ruptures and a perforation of the small intestine in a dog

A 2-year-old male Bouvier de Flandres was admitted because of muco-haemorrhagic diarrhoea of three weeks duration. Radiographic examination revealed signs of gastrointestinal perforation with peritonitis and ileus. Laparotomy revealed a severely changed intestine with longitudinal ruptures of the external part of the wall, and jejunal perforation causing an acute peritonitis. The mesenteric lymph nodes were enlarged. A diffuse eosinophilic gastroenteritis and lymphadenitis were found at autopsy with granulomatous lesions in the oesophagus, stomach and intestines.     

Hypereosinophilia in a horse with intestinal lymphosarcoma.

Paraneoplastic eosinophilia is reported in dogs, cats, and humans. Hypereosinophilia (an eosinophil count greater than 1.5 x 10(9) L) is often associated with metastasis and a poor prognosis. This report describes a case of paraneoplastic hypereosinophilia in a pony. Neoplasia should be included in the differential diagnoses in a horse with eosinophilia.     

Ocular changes in a horse with gutturomycosis.

Recurrent epistaxis and locomotor and visual disturbances leading to blindness in a 7-year-old gelding appeared to have resulted from a spreading fungal granuloma of the guttural pouch. The inflammatory area extended to the intracranial segment of the right optic nerve and to the region adjacent to the optic chiasma. Microscopically, changes indicative of multiple foci of ischemic infarction were noticed in the retina, optic nerves, optic chiasma, and optic lobe. The profusely growing fungal elements in the guttural granuloma had the morphologic characteristics of an Aspergillus sp.     

Immunodeficiency associated with lymphosarcoma in a horse.

Immune system dysfunction and immunoglobulin deficiency was diagnosed in a 2-year-old horse with disseminated lymphosarcoma. Prolonged (35 days) parenteral nutrition was delivered to support the horse during a period in which immune function studies could be performed. Correction of nutritional compromise by use of parenteral nutrition did not correct the immunoglobulin deficiency, and results of lymphocyte phenotype testing did not indicate abnormal proportions of leukocytes. Lymphoblast transformation studies were suggestive of a circulating immunosuppressive factor in the horse's serum. Normal cell function was detected when the cells were stimulated in precolostral equine serum.     

Effectiveness of ivermectin paste for removal of nematodes in the horse

Thirteen Standardbred horses, two to five years of age, were treated with ivermectin paste per os at 200 μg/kg of body weight and 13 were untreated. Two weeks after treatment, previously untreated horses were given the paste. Fecal samples were collected from all horses at the time of treatment and periodically thereafter up to 14 weeks and were examined for nematode eggs using the Cornell-McMaster dilution and the Cornell-Wisconsin double centrifugation procedures.

All horses consumed the paste readily and had no signs of toxicosis. Strongyle eggs were found in the feces of all horses before treatment but not at two to three weeks after treatment. At five to six weeks after treatment only two horses had eggs in the feces. At eight, ten, 12 and 14 weeks after treatment 27, 69, 88 and 100% of the horses examined, respectively, had a few strongyle eggs but these were no greater than 18% of that of the pretreatment samples. Ivermectin oral paste, therefore, appeared to be highly effective against both adult and immature strongyles.