First report of nodular hyperplasia in the spleen of a horse
Authors: Emi Sasaki, Lauren Guarneri, C. F. Mitchell, I. Langohr, Fabio Del Piero
Journal: Veterinary Record Case Reports
Summary
# Editorial Summary A 23-year-old American Saddlebread mare presented with colic secondary to small intestinal strangulation caused by a mesenteric lipoma; postmortem examination revealed an incidental finding of multiple nodular lesions within the spleen, ranging from 0.2 to 2.3 cm in diameter, which histopathology identified as splenic nodular hyperplasia. This condition has been well characterised in canine medicine but represents the first documented case in equine practice. The clinical significance lies in recognition that these nodules carry potential for rupture with subsequent haemoperitoneum, sudden cardiovascular collapse, and fatality—complications already established in dogs but hitherto unreported in horses. Equine practitioners should now consider nodular hyperplasia as a differential diagnosis when investigating splenic pathology via ultrasound or other imaging modalities, particularly in older animals presenting with acute abdominal crises of unclear aetiology. Further surveillance and case reporting will be essential to establish the true prevalence, aetiological factors, and clinical course of this condition in equine populations.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Be aware that splenic nodules in horses may represent nodular hyperplasia, which carries a risk of rupture and life-threatening haemoperitoneum similar to what occurs in dogs
- •Splenic nodular hyperplasia should be added to your differential diagnosis list when evaluating incidental splenic masses on ultrasound or postmortem examination
- •Horses with splenic nodular hyperplasia may present with acute colic or collapse; consider this condition in aged horses presenting with unexplained haemoperitoneum
Key Findings
- •First documented case of splenic nodular hyperplasia in an equine patient (23-year-old mare)
- •Multiple splenic nodules ranged from 0.2 to 2.3 cm in diameter and were confirmed histologically as nodular hyperplasia
- •Nodular hyperplasia should be considered as a differential diagnosis for splenic nodules that may rupture and cause haemoperitoneum and sudden death in horses, similar to its presentation in dogs