Management of squamous cell carcinoma on the thigh of a Nigerian Albino horse

Abstract

The albino horse is the choice horse traditionally for ceremonial parade amongst the military and the police force in Nigeria because of their bright and attractive appearance on parade ground. Incidentally, squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the most common neoplasia of the skin in horses especially the albinos. An 8-year old albino parade stallion of Nigerian breed was presented with the chief complaint of growths on skin of right thigh and a tentative diagnosis of SCC was made. This case reports a successful management of SCC in albino horses with a view to improving management of the condition especially in veterinary settings with limited facility. The horse was restrained in standing position using hobbles and xylazine sedation. Local anaesthesia was achieved using Lidocaine hydrochloride. Growths were debulked in two surgeries, conducted 60 days apart. Vincristine 2 mg was administered intravenously twice at 3 weeks apart after each surgery but additionally, 1g was infiltrated at site after the second surgery, necessitated by re-growth of lesion. Wound was regularly cleaned and dressed. Blood and tissue samples were collected and analyzed for haematological and histopathological alterations respectively. Pre-treatment, haemogram showed neutropenia, lymphocytosis and hyperproteinemia. Histopathological examination revealed focal areas of keratin pearls, massive undifferentiated tumour cells at different stages of mitosis. It was concluded that surgical excision of lesions and vincristine therapy should be used in squamous cell carcinoma management in horses. Therefore, it was recommended that surgeons should be patient as multiple surgeries may be indicated depending on severity of squamous cell carcinoma.

Keywords: Albino, Carcinoma, Horse, Management, Nigerian, Squamous Cell, Thigh