This is an archived Horseadvice.com Discussion. The parent article and menus are available on the navigation menu below:
HorseAdvice.com » Diseases of Horses » Respiratory System » Nose Bleeds: Epistaxis »
  Discussion on Conidiobolus epistaxis
Author Message
New Member:
bitt

Posted on Thursday, Mar 18, 2010 - 10:54 pm:

My 9 yr old Andy mare has been diagnosed with conidiobolus by biopsy at Auburn University. There is a nodular mass 32 cm up the left nostril on the septum. There are ulcerated lesions that are bleeding on the septal surface that can be reached with your finger extending on up the left septum surface. Plain x rays show subcutaneous changes that make the left side margin of the nasal bone fuzzy. It began three months ago with a tiny bit of rusty colored left side nasal discharge and has progressed to multiple trickles of blood daily. Horse seems to feel fine and happy. No weight loss or malaise. Auburn Vet advised to start Fluconazole which we have just started. I have been searching for information on effective treatments and have not found much that appears to be definitive. I do not have much confidence in fluconazole and don't want to dilly dally around. Please advise if you can of the most efficacious treatment modalities. What are my chances of exacting a real cure?
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Friday, Mar 19, 2010 - 2:26 pm:

Hello Cindy,
We do not have enough information to give a prognosis using fluconazole. However in the two case reports that I have read about it was a effective treatment. Traditionally, surgical debulking or intralesional amphotericin B in combination with and potassium iodide therapy has been used and successful in some cases. This treatment regimen does have a real potential of causing iodine toxicity. In all cases no matter what treatment has been used in the past the prognosis has been shown to be guarded and recurrence possible but the early results on fluconazole are promising.
DrO
New Member:
bitt

Posted on Friday, Mar 19, 2010 - 6:58 pm:

Thank you, I am more confident in the drug now. Maybe Immunotherapy or other intraleisonal injection other than the Ampho with KI ? After the endoscopy the Auburn Vet was really leaning toward squamous cell at that point and mentioned surgical excision of the septum. I was not interested. But now that it is not a cancer I would consider it only if it is strongly recommended and necessary to produce significantly better outcome. I guess I should be patient and give the Fluconazole a chance and if the blood slows down that will be my first clue. Hard to sleep at night and hard to concentrate at work thinking about that dripping blood.
If there is any one out there with experience with this would like to hear from you regarding nutrition or any issues you think are valuable.

I am curious also because this same horse had a tiny bit of white line disease that caused recurrent hoof pain in the exact same spot anytime the humidity was up.(Refer to the only other post I have made before for those details) I understand that fungal elements are suspect in white line. I studied up and one recommendation was to get off of sweet feed. This problem was with us for four years and the month I switched to strategy she has never limped again and we just had the wettest year yet. That was well over a year ago now. Sound as beDrOck! Have not put on a hoof treatment or any new supplements since the feed change, nothing else new except now she gets to stay out in the rain and mud. Makes me wonder if Immunotherapy maybe a good line of treatment to pursue for the long haul. Immunologist please chime in.
Thanks to all
Cindy
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Saturday, Mar 20, 2010 - 10:49 am:

Nonspecific immunostimulation has been used in conjunction with other treatments and it is hard to evaluate efficacy. Has someone suggested getting a piece of the infected tissue and treating it in a manner that it might be used as a vaccine?
DrO
Member:
bitt

Posted on Tuesday, Mar 23, 2010 - 7:18 am:

Wanted to give a quick update. After 5 days on Fluconazole the bleeding has stopped. Took her for an easy ride yesterday and there was no blood at all. I think she is a bit more perky.
I will study up on long term therapies and see if an immunologist is available when she goes in for her follow up. If you come across any new info please remember us. Cindy
Home Page | Top of Page | Join Us!
Horseadvice.com is a BBB Accredited Business. Click for the BBB Business Review of this Horse Training in Stokesdale NC