Case Study - Nasal Lump Removal
In this case study we meet Leo, a gorgeous 24 year old, brown and white appaloosa gelding suffering from a large mass in his nose which had been growing at an alarming rate.
History
Leo's owners noticed a lump inside his right nostril in late January. It was the size of a pea and wasn't painful to touch. As the weeks progressed, it grew quickly and in February it was almost filling the nostril.
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Leo had lost some weight over summer but was starting to put it back on with the help of a twice daily hard feed.
Physical examination
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Leo's heart and chest sounded fine on examination. He had a normal pulse and vital signs looked good.
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The mass was soft and smooth with some necrotic areas.
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His right eye had some scarring and vision was reduced.
Treatment
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Leo came in to the Illawarra Equine Centre for head x-rays to determine whether any teeth or bone were affected by the mass.
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The mass was seen on x-ray as extending to the 3rd premolar.
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A biopsy of the lump was sent to the laboratory for histopathology which showed that it was a benign tumor that was at low risk of re-growing.
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A few days later Leo was admitted to the clinic and prepared for surgery.
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Under anesthetic and sedation, a large (13 x 8 x 6cm) mass was removed from Leo's nasal cavity by Nikita and Mitch.
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Once the tumor had been removed, Nikita closed the wound in layers with absorbable sutures.
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The lump had completely blocked Leo's tear duct so they were flushed and his dry eye was treated with cortisone+chloramphenicol.
Ongoing Management
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The following day the surgery site looked good and his eye was improving.
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Leo was able to be discharged from the clinic to be cared for at home.
Prognosis
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Leo's prognosis is good, and he has recovered very well from his surgery.
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