Bilateral third eyelid ectopic cilia in an adult horse.

A 15-year-old Cob mare presented with a 4-month history of chronic epiphora and intermittent blepharospasm in the right eye. On ophthalmic examination, two translucent aberrant hairs were identified at the third eyelid margin corresponding to an area of corneal fibrosis and neovascularization. Partial excision of the third eyelid was performed, and histopathology confirmed ectopic hair follicles. Two weeks later, clinical signs recurred in the same eye. Examination revealed another pair of aberrant hairs on the bulbar surface of the third eyelid near its leading edge. This portion of the third eyelid was also excised, and histopathology confirmed two additional ectopic hair follicles. Eight months later, the horse developed similar clinical signs in the left eye. Ophthalmic examination showed a single aberrant translucent hair at the third eyelid margin associated with focal fibrosis and neovascularization of the ventromedial cornea. Partial excision of the third eyelid was performed, and histopathology confirmed an ectopic hair follicle within the third eyelid conjunctiva. Excision was curative at 4 years postoperatively with no further recurrence in either eye.

Outcome of phacoemulsification following corneal and lens laceration in cats and dogs (2000-2010).

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the success rate of phacoemulsification following corneal and lens laceration in dogs and cats. PROCEDURE: Retrospective review of cats and dogs presenting with corneal and lens laceration and treated with phacoemulsification. RESULTS: The records of 33 patients (33 eyes: six feline, 27 canine) presenting to a private referral center were reviewed. Affected dogs were younger (median 18 months) than affected cats (median 30 months). The lacerations were caused by cat scratch trauma (9/33), thorn injury (6/33), and glass shards (1/33); the cause was unknown in 17/33 cases. All cats and 85.2% of all dogs were visual at the last examination. The median follow-up was 4 and 8 months for cats and dogs, respectively. In all canine cases that developed vision loss, this occurred within the first 14 weeks postoperatively. The ultimate cause for vision loss in dogs was secondary glaucoma (4/4) and retinal detachment (1/4). CONCLUSION: Cats have an excellent outcome and dogs a very good outcome following surgery for corneal and lens laceration. The cause of the trauma, the size of the lesion, the time interval between the ocular trauma and surgery, and the type of surgery were not found to have an influence on the outcome of patients in this study. We postulate that vision loss might develop more often in cases with complications associated with the initial corneal laceration wound.

Cataracts are not associated with retinal detachment in the Bichon Frise in the UK--a retrospective study of preoperative findings and outcomes in 40 eyes.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the Bichon Frise population in the UK is at the same risk of developing retinal detachment in association with cataract formation and following phacoemulsification as described in reports from the USA. PROCEDURES: The medical records of Bichon Frises which were presented for cataract assessment and of those which were treated with phacoemulsification at Willows Referral Service between 1997 and 2009 were reviewed. RESULTS: Forty eyes (26 dogs) with unilateral or bilateral cataracts were included in the study. There was no evidence of retinal detachment associated with the cataracts at initial presentation. Phacoemulsification was performed on 34 eyes (20 dogs). Clinically evident lens-induced uveitis was treated preoperatively in 17/34 eyes. Artificial lens implantation was carried out in 30/34 eyes; automated anterior vitrectomy was performed in 7/34 eyes. The mean follow-up time was 16.6 months (range 1.5-73 months). At the last re-examination, 31/34 eyes (91.2%) were visual. Three eyes (8.8%) were blind--two (in the same dog) because of presumptive bilateral optic nerve disease and one because of uveitis and secondary glaucoma. There was no evidence of retinal detachment following phacoemulsification in any of the 34 eyes. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that the Bichon Frise population in the UK does not appear to have a predisposition for retinal detachment in association with cataract formation or following cataract surgery. Prophylactic random transscleral laser retinopexy or transscleral cryopexy cannot therefore be routinely recommended for Bichon Frises with cataracts in the UK.

Efficacy of lamellar resection, cryotherapy, and adjunctive grafting for the treatment of canine limbal melanoma.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and complication rate of partial lamellar resection followed by cryotherapy for the management of canine limbal melanoma. ANIMALS STUDIED: Fourteen dogs with unilateral canine limbal melanoma which were managed surgically by partial lamellar resection, cryotherapy (1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane) and an adjunctive graft procedure. METHODS: The clinical records of dogs treated between June 1998 and June 2008 were reviewed. The signalment, approximate size and location of the melanoma, variation in surgical technique, recurrence rate, short-term (< three months) and long-term (> three months) complications were assessed. Follow-up information was collected by patient re-examination or telephone interview. RESULTS: The mean age at diagnosis was 6.3 years, with a range from 3.2 to 12 years. Seven breeds were affected, including five cross-breed dogs and four Golden Retrievers. The tumour involved the dorsal arc (from the dorsomedial to the ventrolateral quadrant) in 12 eyes and the ventral arc in two eyes. The size of the tumour ranged from 30 to 180 degrees of the limbal circumference. A double freeze-thaw cycle of cryotherapy was performed in 7/14 eyes and a triple freeze-thaw cycle in 7/14 eyes. An adjunctive conjunctival graft was performed in 13/14 eyes (free graft n = 3, posterior nictitans conjunctiva/cartilage n = 4, advancement graft n = 5, small intestinal submucosa/advancement graft n = 1) and a frozen homologous graft in 1/14 eyes. The duration of follow-up ranged from 6 months to 8.5 years with a median of 2.1 years. Recurrence was not clinically detected in any of the 14 eyes. Early complications occurred in 8/14 eyes and included anterior uveitis (7/14), corneal ulceration (5/14), marked corneal granulation tissue at the graft margin (2/14), dyscoria (2/14), corneal lipidosis (1/14) and corneal oedema (1/14). Intra-operative globe perforation had occurred in 5/7 eyes with anterior uveitis and 2/2 eyes with transient dyscoria. Late complications occurred in 3/14 eyes and included corneal lipidosis which was either mild (< 2mm in diameter, 1/14) or marked (>1cm in diameter, 2/14). Marked lipidosis only occurred following the treatment of extensive limbal melanomas which involved approximately 50% of the limbal circumference. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical management comprising partial lamellar resection, cryotherapy and adjunctive graft placement is technically straightforward, minimally invasive, well tolerated and highly effective. Marked corneal lipidosis is most likely to occur as a post-operative complication when the limbal melanoma is extensive.