A review of equine muscle disorders.
Muscle disorders are a common cause of disability in horses. For many years, clinical manifestations such as muscle pain, exercise intolerance, weakness, and stiffness were believed to be caused by a single syndrome. However, in the past years a broad spectrum of muscle disorders have been recognized including glycogen and polysaccharide storage myopathies, malignant hyperthermia, mitochondrial myopathy, hyperkalemic periodic paralysis and others. For some, a specific mutation has been identified. Recognition of the myopathic clinical phenotype and thorough clinical, electrodiagnostic, and histological evaluations are essential to further our understanding of equine myopathies. Advances in understanding equine myopathies may potentially benefit other species including humans.
Aleman
M
M
Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, Tupper Hall 2108, One Shields Avenue, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA. mraleman@ucdavis.edu
D000818:Animals; D006734:Horse Diseases; D006736:Horses; D009135:Muscular Diseases / Q000662:veterinary*