title: Treatment of equine phycomycosis by immunotherapy and surgery.
abstract: Treatment of equine phycomycosis with a vaccine derived from ultrasonicated hyphae of Hyphomyces destruens was attempted in 30 cases of clinical hyphomycosis, 10 cases of hyphomycosis following unsuccessful surgery and 5 cases of basidiobolomycosis. Approximately 53% of animals with clinical hyphomycosis were cured after vaccination, while a further 33% clinically improved. All horses with hyphomycosis treated within 2 weeks of unsuccessful surgery were cured. There was no response to vaccination with a Hyphomyces preparation in horses with basidiobolomyucosis, while surgery alone resulted in a cure of approximately 69%. Animals tolerated the vaccination procedures well. In all cases there was a moderate to severe reaction at the site of subcutaneous injection which subsided within 96 hours. In approximately 30% of injections a sterile abscess formed at the site but responded promptly to treatment. Response to vaccination at the site of the lesion was observed within 7 to 10 days of first injection. There was progressive reduction of pruritus, drying of the surface of the lesion, expulsion of kunkers, fibrosis of the granuloma, and eventually complete epithelialisation.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005657:Fungal Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005658:Fungi; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000601:surgery* / Q000628:therapy; D006736:Horses; D007167:Immunotherapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D003904:Mitosporic Fungi / Q000276:immunology*; D009181:Mycoses / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D014611:Vaccination / Q000662:veterinary
chemical_list: D005657:Fungal Vaccines