![]() Medical treatments include the immune stimulant Bacillus Calmette Guerin (BCG) vaccine (which is used to prevent tuberculosis) injected into the tumour the injectable chemotherapy drugs cisplatin and Mitomycin C which act by interfering with DNA copying in tumour cells the topical chemotherapy cream AW4-LUDES (‘Liverpool cream’) ointments containing extracts of the blood root plant, and various other natural remedies. For example, some anatomical sites such as the skin around the eye are usually not suitable for surgical treatment because of risk of deforming the eyelid and are also not suitable for some topical chemotherapy treatments because of the risk of collateral damage to the eye itself. The different behaviour of sarcoids means that different treatments are appropriate for different circumstances and also that a ‘one size fits all’ approach to treatment is not appropriate.Īs well as the type of sarcoid, factors affecting treatment options include the location and extent of sarcoids, treatment cost and the horse’s temperament. There is no universal best treatment for sarcoids which has resulted in many different treatments being proposed and used. Occasionally horses develop malignant sarcoids which are highly aggressive and spread locally via lymph vessels producing lines of sarcoids spreading from the original tumour site.Mixed sarcoids are combinations of the above three types and it is fairly common for horses to develop multiple sarcoid types in one region or for there to be multiple sarcoid types present at different sites around the horse.They have an irregular appearance and because they grow rapidly are often ulcerated. They might not be well demarcated and often occur in clusters of tumours of variable size and shape. Fibroblastic – These are aggressive tumours that grow rapidly and are locally invasive, possibly invading down into the tissues underneath the skin.They have a medium growth rate and their behaviour may change over time. They have a spherical appearance and may have a wide, flat base or narrow stem-like base. Nodular – These are well demarcated lumps, which may be covered by normal skin or may be ulcerated.They are the least aggressive sarcoid type. Verrucose – These are slow growing and have flat, scaly tumours and look like scars or ringworm.The reason for this is that all sarcoids look alike under the microscope and biopsy can make sarcoids more aggressive. In this type of situation the sarcoid will often reappear in a more rapidly growing form and may change its behaviour making it more difficult to treat, which underlines the importance of correct identification.īiopsies are not worthwhile unless there is any doubt about the lump is a sarcoid or not. Inappropriate treatment can make sarcoids more aggressive, in particular in situations when treatment fails and the sarcoid grows back. It is therefore vital to identify which type of sarcoid your horse has. Different types of sarcoids have different levels of aggression and need different treatments. Sarcoids have a range of appearances and behaviours. Some owners of sarcoid-affected horses have run into difficulties registering horses at livery yards because of fears of transmission to other horses but, at present, there is no evidence to suggest that horses affected by sarcoids are a threat to others. Although parts of the virus (DNA and protein) have been detected on flies, infectious (whole) virus has not been detected. This is not unique to the horse: papilloma viruses do this in other species, notably in humans where papilloma viruses cause cervical cancer in women.Īre sarcoids a contagious disease, spread from horse to horse or cattle to horse? It is possible that sarcoids spread contagiously and this is something that has worried some people but, as yet, the ability for sarcoids to transmit by either direct horse-to-horse contact or indirectly by flies is unproven. ![]() The virus becomes incorporated into the DNA of infected skin cells and causes transformation of those cells into tumour cells. However, it appears that the virus requires genetically susceptible horses in order to cause sarcoids in other words, not every horse exposed to the virus will develop sarcoids whereas those that are genetically susceptible are likely to keep developing sarcoids.Īs the susceptibility remains, horses that have been successfully treated for sarcoids often get them again. Sarcoids are caused by bovine papilloma virus (BPV). ![]()
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