Equine sarcoidosis: combination of surgical removal and electrochemotherapy using bleomycin, in two mares in the province of Tucumán, Argentina

Abstract

 In horses, skin diseases can lead to cosmetic lesions that impact their health and sales price of these animals. 50%
of all skin lesions in horses are neoplastic in nature, with sarcoids being the most common skin tumor in this species.
This study describes the clinical signs, macroscopic and microscopic features, and treatments of two cases of equine
sarcoidosis in two mares (Equus caballus) seen at the college of veterinary medicine at the Universidad Nacional de
Tucumán, located in the province of Tucuman, in Argentina. Both patients had multiple granulomatous, firm and fibrous
nodules at the base of the ear and within their pinnae. Histopathology revealed signs consistent with fibroblastic sarcoids.
Treatment included surgical excision of those masses larger than 20 cm2 combined with electrochemotherapy using
bleomycin. Follow-up of these patients up to 180 days post treatment revealed no recurrence of signs in either of these
two patients, suggesting that the combination of surgical and electrochemotherapy using bleomycin could represent an
effective way to treat equine sarcoidosis.