Hematology and cytodiagnosis of leukosis of the horse (review)]

In a review supplementary to prior evaluations further hematological or cytodiagnostic aspects respectively of equine leucosis are discussed. Leukemic nature of the disease is characterized by increased count of normal blood cells or by the presence of morphologically non-differentiated cells in circulating blood or by disorder or loss of function of blood cells respectively. Thrombocytopenia in the most cases is accompanied by anemia, leukemia and tumor cell infiltration in bone marrow. Tumor cells in circulating blood indicate their presence in bone marrow too. In cases of equine leucosis with effusions in thoracic and/or in abdominal cavities tumor cells seem to be present more frequently in hydrothorax than in ascites.