Chronic Progressive Lymphedema in Belgian Draft Horses: Understanding and Managing a Challenging Disease

Chronic progressive lymphedema (CPL) in draft horses is characterized by increased dermal thickness and fibrosis, with the development of skinfolds and nodules, hyperkeratosis, and ulcerations on the distal limbs of affected horses. Secondary bacterial, fungal, or parasitic infections frequently complicate and aggravate the lesions, as well as the progression of this disease. CPL has a particularly high prevalence of up to 85.86% in the Belgian draft horse breed. Due to the disease’s progressive and incurable nature, affected horses are often euthanized prematurely. The treatment options are s... Mehr ...

Verfasser: Marieke Brys
Edwin Claerebout
Koen Chiers
Dokumenttyp: Artikel
Erscheinungsdatum: 2023
Reihe/Periodikum: Veterinary Sciences, Vol 10, Iss 5, p 347 (2023)
Verlag/Hrsg.: MDPI AG
Schlagwörter: Belgian draft horse / clinical signs / skinfolds / fibrosis / pathogenesis / lymphedema / Veterinary medicine / SF600-1100
Sprache: Englisch
Permalink: https://search.fid-benelux.de/Record/base-26511362
Datenquelle: BASE; Originalkatalog
Powered By: BASE
Link(s) : https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci10050347

Chronic progressive lymphedema (CPL) in draft horses is characterized by increased dermal thickness and fibrosis, with the development of skinfolds and nodules, hyperkeratosis, and ulcerations on the distal limbs of affected horses. Secondary bacterial, fungal, or parasitic infections frequently complicate and aggravate the lesions, as well as the progression of this disease. CPL has a particularly high prevalence of up to 85.86% in the Belgian draft horse breed. Due to the disease’s progressive and incurable nature, affected horses are often euthanized prematurely. The treatment options are solely symptomatic, aimed at improving the horse’s quality of life. Despite the severity of this condition, many uncertainties about its etiology and pathogenesis still remain to date. The established scientific research on CPL is rather limited, although there is an urgent need for strategies to tackle this disease. This review summarizes the available knowledge, serving as a guideline for practitioners, and provides perspectives for future research programs.