Abstract
Objective of this study was to describe intraocular measurements in newly born foals (1–7 days of age) and assess the association between globe measurements and gender, laterality, and body weight. B-scan ultrasonographic biometry was performed on both eyes of 22 healthy foals (44 eyes) ages 1–7 days using a 10-MHz transducer. Intraocular measurements (anterior chamber depth, central lens thickness, vitreous chamber depth, axial globe length, longitudinal globe length, lens poles distance) were carried out using the ultrasound internal calipers. The influence of gender (male or female), laterality (right or left eye), and body weight (“light” <48 kg; “heavy” ≥48 kg) on ocular measurements was analysed by the Student t test. Values of P<0.05 were accepted as significant for all analyses. Mean anterior chamber depth was 2.2±0.5 mm (Standard Deviation); central lens thickness was 9.9±0.8 mm; vitreous chamber depth was 15.5±1.1 mm; axial globe length was 27.6±1.6 mm; longitudinal globe length was 35.8±1.2 mm, and lens poles distance was 16.4±1.0 mm. Intraocular measurements were not influenced by gender, laterality nor body weight. This study provides reference values for intraocular measurements in neonatal foals and may be useful in the diagnosis and treatment of congenital and acquired pathologies involving the globe.
Highlights
In equine medicine, a complete ophthalmic examination is sometimes limited by the opacification of the anterior segment and lens, making it difficult to correctly diagnose ocular disease
B-scan ultrasonographic biometry Reproducibility and agreement between operators were very good at 97% and 0.8 correlation, respectively (Fig. 1)
The anterior chamber depth (ACD), central lens thickness (CLT), vitreous chamber depth (VCD), axial globe length (AGL), longitudinal globe length (LGL), and lens pole distance (LPD) were measured in neonatal foals, and no differences were observed regarding gender, laterality, nor body weight
Summary
A complete ophthalmic examination is sometimes limited by the opacification of the anterior segment and lens, making it difficult to correctly diagnose ocular disease. Few reports exist regarding the axial dimensions of globes and intraocular distances measured via B-scan ultrasonography in the adult horse [3,4,5,6]. Even fewer reports exist regarding ultrasonographic biometry of the eye in the neonate, despite the relatively high number of acquired and congenital ophthalmic lesions diagnosed in healthy foals within 48 hours of life [7,8]. Townsend et al examined foals aged more than 42 days [9], and Grinniger et al performed ultrasonographic biometry on 33 eyes of horses aged 0–2.5 years but did not specify the age distribution of subjects [5]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
