Detecting subclinical laminitis: histopathological study of hoof lamellae from a random population of horses (ex-vivo)

master's thesis

• Title (croatian): Otkrivanje subkliničkog laminitisa: histopatološka studija kopitnih lamela iz nasumične populacije konja (ex-vivo)
• Author: Valentine Jeanne Marie Prié
• Mentor: Ivan-Conrado Šoštarić-Zuckermann (mentor)
• Mentor: Nika Brkljača Bottegaro (mentor)
• Committee member: Lidija Medven Zagradišnik (predsjednik povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Nika Brkljača Bottegaro (član povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Ivan-Conrado Šoštarić-Zuckermann (član povjerenstva)
• Granter: University of Zagreb; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine; Zagreb
• Defense date and country: 2024-07-02, Croatia
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: BIOMEDICINE AND HEALTHCARE; Veterinary Medicine; Veterinary Clinical Sciences

Abstract

Laminitis is one the most common and debilitating conditions affecting horses
worldwide. Reliability of standard diagnostic methods such as radiography is variable
specifically in case of subclinical laminitis, before onset of the characteristic clinical signs.
However, prognosis is favoured when diagnosis is obtained during the earliest possible phase
of disease development.
Hypothesis was made that the condition could be detected in a random population of
horses that were certified healthy but did not undergo laminitis diagnosis before death.
Histopathological examination of lamellar tissue from dorso-sagittal wall biopsy of 31 ex-vivo
front hooves were performed. Results showed that 100% of the lamellar samples presented
with at least one pathological change. Based on the average grading of the 5 histopathological
parameters evaluated, 67.7% of the samples were above 1 out of 3 on a laminitis severity
index.
Conclusion can be made that the occurrence of undiagnosed laminitis is high in Croatia
and investigation over possible causes such as living conditions of those regional breeds should
be conducted. Further experimentation on a different study group with more history data and a
complete lameness examination is necessary. Furthermore, histopathological examination is a
recommendable diagnosis method for laminitis, which can be performed without inclusion of
structural pathology parameters while maintaining accurate results. Generally, biopsy of
lamellar samples also in live horses when laminitis onset is suspected, would likely result in
earlier and more certain diagnosis during pre or subclinical phases of the condition
development. However, practicability of the method is lacking and histopathological diagnosis
of laminitis in live horses in likely to remain rare.

Abstract (croatian)

Laminitis predstavlja jednu od najčešćih bolesti koja zahvaća konje diljem svijeta.
Pouzdanost tradicionalnih dijagnostičkih metoda poput radiografije je varijabilna, osobito u
slučaju subkliničkog laminitisa, odnosno prije početka karakterističnih kliničkih znakova.
Međutim, prognoza je povoljna ukoliko se bolest dijagnosticira u početnim stadijima razvoja
bolesti.
Postavljena je hipoteza da je bolest moguće otkriti u nasumičnoj populaciji konja za
koje se smatralo da su klinički slobodni od bolesti i u kojih nije prethodno postavljena
dijagnoza laminitisa. Provedena je ex vivo patohistološka pretraga bioptata lamelarnog tkiva
31 prednje noge. Rezultati su pokazali da je u 100% kopita utvrđena barem jedna patološka
promjena. Za prosječno 5 procijenjenih patohistoloških parametara, 67,7% uzoraka ocijenjeno
je ocjenom iznad 1 od ukupno 3 na ljestvici težine laminitisa. Potrebno je provesti daljnja
istraživanja na drugoj istraživanoj skupini s više anamnestičkih podataka.
Može se zaključiti da je prevalencija nedijagnosticiranog laminitisa u Hrvatskoj visoka
te su potrebna daljnja istraživanja u svrhu utvrđivanja mogućih uzroka, kao što su uvjeti držanja
i razina dobrobiti regionalnih pasmina. Nadalje, patohistološka pretraga preporučena je metoda
dijagnostike laminitisa, koja se može provesti bez uključivanja procjene parametara strukturne
patologije uz održavanje visoke razine točnosti rezultata.
Općenito, biopsija lamelarnog tkiva živih konja sa sumnjom na početni stadij laminitisa
vjerojatno bi rezultirala ranijom i točnijom dijagnozom u predkliničkim ili subkliničkim
stadijima bolesti.

• Keywords: subclinical laminitis; equine lamellar histopathology; diagnosis
• Keywords (croatian): subklinički laminitis; lamelarna patohistologija konja; dijagnostika
• Language: english
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:178:898982
• Study programme: Title: Veterinary Medicine; Study programme type: university; Study level: integrated undergraduate and graduate; Academic / professional title: doktor/doktorica veterinarske medicine (doktor/doktorica veterinarske medicine)
• Type of resource: Text
• File origin: Born digital
• Access conditions: Open access
• Created on: 2024-07-16 08:48:09