Diagnosis and treatment of the equine sarcoid

Abstract

THE term ‘sarcoid’ is derived from the apparent sarcomatous appearance of the lesions as well as their tendency to recur following excision. The numbers of sarcoid (previously called 'warts') on any individual case, their character, distribution and extent, have a major bearing on the selection of the available treatment options. Clearly, the frustrations felt by many generations of veterinary surgeons have continued up to the present time; the equine sarcoid is probably the most common cutaneous reason for euthanasia and the loss to the equine industry is considerable. Horses in which there are few localised superficial lesions are usually amenable to any of the treatment options, although inadequate application will yield a poor result with a high rate of recurrence at the site and possible extension to other sites. No effective means of treating the malevolent type of sarcoid has yet been found and interfering with this particularly aggressive form merely exacerbates the signs.