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33rd Annual Scientific Meeting proceedings


Stream:   |   Session:
Date/Time: 30-11--0001 (00:00 - 00:00)   |   Location:
Taking a biopsy does not systematically result in equine sarcoid exacerbation
Gysens L, Martens A*, Haspeslagh M*
Dep. of Large Animal Surgery, Anaesthesia and Orthopaedics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium.

Objectives:

Despite recent advances in the clinical diagnosis of equine sarcoids (ES), some cases still warrant additional confirmation. Because PCR for intralesional detection of bovine papillomavirus DNA is not universally available, practitioners are often left with tissue histology as only alternative. It is often stated that taking a biopsy increases the risk of tumor exacerbation, but the effect of biopsy on ES progression has never been formally examined.

Methods:

Tumour growth dynamics (dimensions, clinical severity and viral load) of 11 ES were monitored from 12 weeks before to 24 weeks after a single punch biopsy was taken. Correlations between growth parameters and time were examined.

Results:

Growth parameters changed significantly, but randomly over time, both in the period before and after biopsy, with some ES improving while others deteriorated over time, regardless of the act of taking a biopsy. Overall, ES dimensions and clinical severity decreased significantly after taking a biopsy (p<0.001), while viral load did not change significantly (p=0.47). Some of the sarcoids were even observed to disappear in the post-biopsy period.

Conclusions:

Post biopsy lesion deterioration is not a universal concept that applies to all ES. A tumour’s response to a single biopsy intervention rather seems to be depending on individual sarcoid behaviour with both deterioration or improvement as possible outcomes. While some tumors may progress after a biopsy, this may also be the case without biopsy. Therefore, while clinical diagnosis or PCR are still the safest choice, the common fear for lesion exacerbation associated with tissue biopsies is ungrounded.

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