Favorable survival of horses with guttural pouch mycosis following hospital-based treatment.

Guttural pouch mycosis carries a good prognosis; epistaxis and dysphagia should not deter treatment.

This retrospective case series evaluated clinical outcomes and survival in 41 client-owned horses diagnosed with guttural pouch mycosis (GPM) and treated at a referral hospital between 2005 and 2024. Of the 41 horses, 28 presented with epistaxis or a history of epistaxis. Thirty-five horses underwent surgical intervention, including balloon catheter arterial occlusion, arterial embolization, arterial ligation, and pharyngeal fenestration. Six horses died or were euthanized during hospitalization, while 35 were discharged alive. At a median follow-up of 377 weeks, 24 of the 35 discharged horses remained alive. Five horses were euthanized for GPM-related causes within 60 days of disease confirmation, and 6 died of unrelated causes. Notably, the presence of epistaxis at presentation did not negatively impact survival outcomes. Horses presenting with dysphagia also did not demonstrate reduced survival time, though resolution of dysphagia was prolonged, ranging from 6 to 12 months. These findings suggest that GPM carries a good short-term prognosis and a fair to good long-term prognosis following hospital-based treatment. The authors conclude that treatment should not be withheld based on the concurrent presence of epistaxis or dysphagia, as these clinical signs do not appear to be negative prognostic indicators. This study provides clinically relevant outcome data to guide treatment decisions and client communication in horses diagnosed with GPM.

This summary was distilled by AI and may occasionally misinterpret data. Confirm critical details with the primary literature before clinical application.