Fibrocartilaginous Emboli in a 15-Year-Old Pony Mare

Fibrocartilaginous Emboli in a 15-Year-Old Pony Mare
Vet Med Sci. 2025 Nov;11(6):e70699. doi: 10.1002/vms3.70699.
Authors
Elizabeth Kyle-LaBell 1 , Amelia Andersson 1 , Brittany Baughman 1
Affiliation

1 Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State, Mississippi, USA.

PMID: 41236494
DOI: 10.1002/vms3.70699

Abstract

Fibrocartilaginous embolic myelopathy (FCE) was diagnosed in a 15-year-old pony mare by histopathologic examination of the spinal cord. The horse was euthanized and submitted for necropsy following focal seizures and lateral recumbency for approximately 12 h. Histopathology of spinal cord segments C5-C7 revealed severe ischemic myelomalacia with intravascular amorphous material that stained positive with Alcian Blue, consistent with cartilaginous matrix. These features in addition to the acute onset of clinical signs are characteristic for FCE. This case report describes the clinical and histopathological findings of a horse with an FCE with confirmation via histochemical staining.

Keywords: FCE; degenerative disc disease; disc lesions; horse.

© 2025 The Author(s). Veterinary Medicine and Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.