Fibro-Osseous Lesions Of The Craniofacial Complex In Horses: 30 Cases (2001-2019).
Authors: Nottle Bridget F, Tatarniuk Dane M, Caldwell Fred J, Bell Chris D, Caston Stephanie S, Merkatoris Paul T, Gillen Alex M, Katzman Scott A
Journal: Veterinary surgery : VS
Summary
# Fibro-Osseous Lesions of the Craniofacial Complex in Horses: Clinical Outcomes and Management Fibro-osseous tumours of the horse's skull are rare but clinically significant conditions that require histopathological confirmation for definitive diagnosis, as clinical presentation alone cannot distinguish between ossifying fibroma, osteoma, and fibrous dysplasia. This retrospective review of 30 cases across four equine centres over 19 years found that 20 lesions originated from the rostral mandible, with 12 horses diagnosed before one year of age, suggesting these conditions may be congenital or develop early in life. Ossifying fibroma was the most common diagnosis (20/30 cases), followed by osteoma (8/30) and fibrous dysplasia (2/30), with rostral mandibulectomy being the predominant treatment approach. Complete surgical excision eliminated recurrence risk entirely, whilst incomplete excision still resulted in acceptable long-term outcomes for the majority of horses (six of seven with follow-up), with only one case showing recurrence. With 23 of the horses with available follow-up data returning to use and demonstrating excellent survival rates, these findings suggest that surgical intervention is justified even when achieving complete margins proves challenging, offering practitioners and owners a more optimistic prognosis than might otherwise be anticipated for craniofacial bone tumours.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Fibro-osseous lesions of the mandible in young horses require histopathological diagnosis—imaging and clinical signs alone cannot differentiate between ossifying fibroma, osteoma, and fibrous dysplasia
- •Surgical excision is the indicated treatment; even incomplete excision may result in long-term resolution without recurrence in most cases
- •Long-term prognosis for performance and survival is generally excellent, which should inform owner counseling and treatment decisions
Key Findings
- •Ossifying fibroma was the most common diagnosis (20/30 cases), followed by osteoma (8/30) and fibrous dysplasia (2/30)
- •40% of lesions were diagnosed in horses younger than 1 year old, with 67% originating from the rostral mandible
- •Recurrence occurred in only 1 of 7 horses with incomplete excision and long-term follow-up
- •Prognosis for survival and return to use was excellent in 23 of 30 horses with long-term follow-up data