Breed predispositions to congenital and juvenile cataracts in horses at two academic institutions.

Background: Determination of horse breeds predisposed to congenital and juvenile cataracts will enable investigations into potential genetic mechanisms for cataracts in horses.

Objective: To investigate horse breed predispositions to congenital and juvenile cataracts in two academic referral populations.

Study Design: Retrospective case series.

Macrodendritic ulcerative keratitis and conjunctival lymphoid hyperplasia in horses with equine herpesvirus-2 and equine herpesvirus-5 infections.

Objective: The aim of this study was to describe the clinical, confocal microscopic, histologic, and virologic features of horses with macrodendritic ulcerative keratitis and conjunctival lymphoid hyperplasia associated with equine herpesvirus-2 and equine herpesvirus-5 infection.

Animal Studied: Four foals with bilateral ocular disease.

Procedures: Complete ophthalmic examination was performed for each horse, and corneal samples were collected for cytology and microbiologic evaluation, including virus isolation and molecular diagnostics for the equine herpesviruses.

Evaluation of the short- and long-term complications and outcomes of phacoemulsification surgery in alpacas.

Objective: To describe the complications and determine the visual outcomes associated with phacoemulsification surgery in alpacas.

Animals: Five alpacas (nine operated eyes).

Procedures: Medical records of alpacas with a clinical diagnosis of cataracts that received elective phacoemulsification surgery at Cornell University over a 15 year period were reviewed.

Laser scanning in vivo confocal microscopic characterization of equine immune-mediated keratitis.

Objective: To describe the corneal in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM) findings in horses with putative immune-mediated keratitis (IMMK).

Animals: Sixty five horses with IMMK.

Procedures: Horses diagnosed with IMMK were examined with a modified Heidelberg Retina Tomograph II and Rostock Cornea Module.

In vivo confocal microscopy characteristics of equine epithelial and subepithelial nonulcerative keratomycosis.

Objective: To describe the in vivo confocal microscopy features of horses with epithelial and subepithelial nonulcerative keratomycosis.

Animals Studied: Four horses with a clinical diagnosis of epithelial or subepithelial keratomycosis.

Procedures: Horses were examined on one or more occasions by in vivo laser scanning confocal microscopy of the cornea.

Transnasal, Endoscopically Guided Skull-Based Surgery by Pharyngotomy for Mass Removal from the Sphenopalatine Sinus in a Horse.

Objective: To report a transnasal, endoscopically guided ventral surgical approach for accessing the cranial and caudal segments of the sphenopalatine sinus for mass removal in a horse.

Study Design: Case report.

Animal: Adult horse with acute onset blindness referable to a soft tissue mass within the sphenopalatine sinus.

CORRELATIONS AMONG ULTRASONOGRAPHIC MEASUREMENTS OF OPTIC NERVE SHEATH DIAMETER, AGE, AND BODY WEIGHT IN CLINICALLY NORMAL HORSES.

Early diagnosis of high intracranial pressure (ICP) is critical for minimizing progressive brain injury due to reduced cerebral perfusion. In people, detecting enlargement of the optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) by transpalpebral ultrasonography has been found to be an accurate test for high ICP. Aims of this prospective, observational, cross-sectional study were to test hypotheses that (1) ultrasonographic measurement of ONSD would be repeatable in horses, (2) have acceptable interobserver agreement, and (3) would be correlated with age and body weight.

In vivo confocal microscopy of corneal microscopic foreign bodies in horses.

Objective: To describe in vivo corneal confocal microscopy of horses with microscopic corneal foreign bodies and to correlate findings with clinical, cytological, and histopathologic evaluations of clinical cases and foreign body morphologies observed in vitro with the confocal microscope.

Animal Studied: Five horses with microscopic corneal foreign bodies.

Procedures: Sedated and anesthetized horses were examined with a modified Heidelberg Retina Tomograph II and Rostock Cornea Module.

Use of a formal assessment instrument for evaluation of veterinary student surgical skills.

Objectives: To (1) evaluate the design and use of a global rating scale assessment instrument in veterinary medical education and; (2) examine the effectiveness of 2 surgical techniques courses for improving the surgical skills of veterinary students.

Study Design: Instrument development; observational; survey-based.

Sample Population: Students (n = 16) registered for 2 elective surgical techniques courses were enrolled on a volunteer basis.

Bilateral parotid duct transposition for keratoconjunctivitis sicca in a Connemara stallion.

A 7-year-old Connemara stallion was presented with a 4 month history of blepharospasm, recurrent corneal ulcerations, mucopurulent ocular discharge, and keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS) in both eyes unresponsive to medical therapy. Ophthalmic examination revealed lackluster corneas, axial corneal scarring and pigmentation with associated neovascularization, and absolute KCS in both eyes. Computed tomography scan and endoscopic evaluation of the upper airway and guttural pouches revealed no structural abnormalities to indicate neurogenic KCS.

Diagnosis of Borrelia-associated uveitis in two horses.

Borrelia burgdorferi, the etiologic agent of Lyme disease is a tick born spirochetal infection. Clinical signs of Lyme borreliosis are uncommon in horses, but when present they are often vague and nonspecific. In horses, Lyme borreliosis has been implicated in musculoskeletal, neurological, reproductive, and ocular disorders, including uveitis, but definitive diagnosis can be challenging as the causative agent is rarely isolated and serologic tests can be unreliable and do not confirm active disease.

Neuro-ophthalmology in horses.

A complete neuro-ophthalmologic assessment is relatively simple, requires minimal instrumentation and should be performed as part of every complete ophthalmic and neurologic examination. This article has summarized the tests that comprise and the species-specific details of the complete neuro-ophthalmologic of the equine patient. Selected causes of sudden blindness in the horse were summarized and some common neuro-ophthalmic conditions with significant ophthalmic consequences, such as facial nerve paralysis, were discussed.

In vivo confocal microscopy of equine fungal keratitis.

Objective: To describe in vivo corneal confocal microscopy of horses with fungal keratitis and correlate findings with clinical, histopathological, and microbiological evaluations of clinical cases and an ex vivo experimental equine fungal keratitis model.

Animals Studied: A total of 12 horses with naturally-acquired fungal keratitis and ex vivo equine corneas experimentally infected with clinical fungal isolates.

Procedures: Horses with naturally-acquired fungal keratitis were examined with a modified Heidelberg Retina Tomograph II and Rostock Cornea Module.