title: Episodic blindness and ataxia in a horse with cholesterinic granulomas.
abstract: An 11-year-old Oldenburg mare presented following three episodes of acute, transient blindness, ataxia, and disorientation within the preceding 7 months. Clinical improvement, including return of vision, occurred within 1 week of initiating corticosteroid therapy for each of the three episodes. However, mild right-sided miosis was a consistent finding on ophthalmic examinations. Routine clinicopathologic testing revealed no significant abnormalities, and testing of cerebral spinal fluid for selected infectious diseases was unrewarding. Computed tomography of the brain demonstrated a hyperattenuating mass with peripheral mineralization in the rostroventral aspect of each lateral ventricle. The mare was euthanized due to a guarded to poor prognosis. On histopathology, the masses consisted of clusters of cholesterol clefts admixed with leukocytes, mineral deposits, and connective tissue. Cholesterinic granulomas of the lateral ventricles and hydrocephaly were diagnosed. Cholesterinic granulomas should be considered a differential diagnosis in horses presenting for intermittent blindness.
authors.affiliation: Iowa State University, Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center, 1600 South 16th Street, Ames, IA 50011, USA.
authors.forename: Kyle L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Tofflemire
authors.forename: R David
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Whitley
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Kenneth R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Waller
authors.forename: Ronald K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Myers
authors.forename: Angela E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Pillatzki
authors.forename: Gil
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ben-Shlomo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001259:Ataxia / Q000209:etiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D001766:Blindness / Q000209:etiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D006099:Granuloma / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D006736:Horses