Gastric neoplasia in horses.
Authors: Taylor S D, Haldorson G J, Vaughan B, Pusterla N
Journal: Journal of veterinary internal medicine
Summary
Gastric neoplasia remains poorly characterised in equine practice, prompting Taylor and colleagues to retrospectively analyse 24 horses diagnosed histologically with gastric tumours, documenting their clinical presentation, diagnostic findings, and pathological features. Affected horses ranged from 9–25 years old (median 18 years) with no breed or sex predisposition; inappetance (71%), weight loss (58%), and lethargy (29%) dominated the presenting complaints, whilst clinical examination commonly revealed tachypnea, decreased gastrointestinal sounds, and poor body condition. Squamous cell carcinoma accounted for 79% of cases, typically presenting as a single ulcerated, necrotic lesion in the nonglandular stomach, and diagnostic value was achieved through gastroscopy, rectal examination, abdominal ultrasound, and abdominocentesis, with anemia (37% of cases) and hypercalcaemia of malignancy (25%) being noteworthy clinicopathological findings. Critically, metastatic disease was already present in 78% of horses at diagnosis, with median survival of only four weeks from symptom onset, as all horses ultimately died or were euthanized. For practitioners, this study underscores that chronic weight loss and inappetance in older horses warrant gastroscopic evaluation and highlights the grave prognosis of gastric neoplasia, emphasising early recognition and the importance of realistic owner expectations regarding outcome.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Gastric neoplasia should be suspected in older horses (median 18 years) presenting with inappetance, weight loss, and lethargy despite normal appetite assessment
- •Gastroscopy is essential for diagnosis as most tumors are accessible for visualization and biopsy in the nonglandular stomach
- •Prognosis is grave with median survival of only 4 weeks post-diagnosis, so early recognition and discussion of euthanasia timing is important for client communication
Key Findings
- •Squamous cell carcinoma was the most common gastric neoplasia in horses (19/24 cases), typically presenting as a single ulcerated necrotic mass in the nonglandular stomach
- •Median age at presentation was 18 years with no breed or sex predisposition identified
- •Inappetance (71%) and weight loss (58%) were the most common presenting complaints, with anemia being the most frequent hematologic abnormality (37%)
- •Median survival time from onset of clinical signs to death was only 4 weeks, with metastatic disease identified in 78% of cases