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33rd Annual Scientific Meeting proceedings


Stream:   |   Session: Resident Forum - Large Animal
Date/Time: 04-07-2024 (19:45 - 20:00)   |   Location: Auditorium 2
Clinical characteristics, treatment and prognostic factors associated with outcome in 44 foals with osteomyelitis diagnosed by computed tomography
Buyck CB1, Zani DDZ2, Robert MR*1, Gustafsson KG*2
1Equine Clinic de Livet, Saint-Michel de Livet, France, 2DIVAS, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.

Objectives:

Investigate cases of osteomyelitis in foals and establish a correlation between CT findings, survival to discharge, and long term-prognosis.

Methods:

Foals younger than 9 months that presented over 3 years and diagnosed with osteomyelitis using CT examination were included. Signalment, clinical parameters, concurrent diseases, clinical pathology data and synovial fluid parameters were collected. Presence of lesions on radiographs and ultrasound, lesions identified on CT and treatment modalities were also recorded. CT analysis identified lesion locations and imaging characteristics. Effect of each variable on survival to discharge and long-term (>6 months) survival was studied through logistic regression (p<0.05).

Results:

Of 44 foals included with a median age of 36 days, 71% had radiographic and 64% ultrasonographic lesion detection. CT refined this diagnosis in 81%. Axial skeleton osteomyelitis occurred in 23%, appendicular skeleton in 66%, and both in 11%. Fifty-two per cent had multi-location lesions. Survival rates were 66% to discharge and 55% on long-term. Multiple-site osteomyelitis linked to decreased survival (both short- and long-term). Joint collapse and bone sclerosis negatively impacted survival to discharge and long-term survival, respectively, on multivariable analysis.

Conclusions:

CT showed excellent diagnostic abilities for osteomyelitis in foals revealing comprehensive insight into the lesions’ extent, especially in the proximal limbs and axial skeleton.

The effect of joint collapse on survival relates to the obvious impairment of the involved joint. Similarly, bone sclerosis might alter healing of the bony lesion and negatively impact the prognosis.

These findings stress the critical importance of early diagnosis and advocate the use of CT for osteomyelitis in foals.

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