Clinicopathological Features of Hemangioma in Two Young Horses

Abstract

The clinicopathological and immunohistochemical features of two vascular tumors in two young horses are described in the present work. These animals were referred to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of the University of Cordoba because of the presence of hyperpigmented plaques located in the medial aspect of the left leg and also around the hock (case 1) and in the right front leg (case 2). Some of the lesions showed deep ulceration and severe protrusion with abundant bleeding. The histopathological study revealed that lesions were composed of nonencapsulated, proliferated, closely packed small blood vessels, some of which showed irregular shape, whereas others were similar to capillaries, arterioles, and venules. Neoplastic cells expressed vimentin and factor VIllar, suggesting their endothelial nature, whereas in the wall of some proliferated vessels, some cells expressed vimentin, alpha-smooth muscle actin and desmin, an immunophenotype consistent with pericytes, and small muscle cells. These features agree with those reported in human juvenile hemangioma rather than with hemangioma in adult horses.