Equine cutaneous fungal granuloma: a study of

44 lesions from 34 horses

Blackwell Publishing Ltd

Beth A. Valentine*, George H. Taylor, Jeffrey

K. Stone and Richard R. Halse
*Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine
College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences
Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, College of Science,
Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
Correspondence: B.A. Valentine, DVM PhD, College of Veterinary
Medicine, Oregon State University, Magruder 142, Corvallis, OR
97331, USA. E-mail: Beth.Valentine@oregonstate.edu.

What is known about the topic of your paper

Cutaneous fungal granulomas in horses occur worldwide.
Prior reports are of a single or small series of cases.
Classification has relied on microscopic features of causative
fungi.
What your paper adds to the field of veterinary dermatology
Evaluation of a large series of cases indicates many
similarities despite differences in causative fungi.
Granulomas occur in horses in dry climates as well as wet
climates and excision is curative.
Most affected horses are less than 10 years of age.

Abstract
Forty-four nodular and noninvasive cutaneous fungal
granulomas were identified in 34 horses over a 14.5year period. Cutaneous fungal granulomas were most
common in young horses (mean age 6.1 4.2 years;
range 119 years). There was no apparent breed or sex
bias. Granulomas were either single or multiple, and
most often occurred in the skin of the head and neck.
The characteristic histological finding was a nodular
dermal mass with a mean diameter of 7.3 mm (range
2.5 20 mm) and an intact overlying epithelium. Lesions
most often exhibited intense lymphocytic inflammation,
with admixed pyogranulomatous inflammation associated with a small to moderate number of fungal
elements. Causative fungi were both pigmented and
nonpigmented organisms of variable morphology.
Penetrating plant material was identified in three
cases. Granulomas caused by nonpigmented fungi
were most common in horses from wet regions. Both
pigmented and nonpigmented fungi were found in
granulomas from horses in dry regions. Cutaneous
fungal granulomas occurred in February through
November, with peaks in April and July. No correlation
of yearly incidence with annual average temperature
or rainfall was detected. This study confirms that
equine cutaneous fungal granuloma is relatively
common in horses in the Pacific Northwest. Morphology
of causative fungi was variable, but the signalment,
266

history, and clinical and overall histological features

were very similar. Surgical excision was curative.
Accepted 09 May 2006

Introduction
Cutaneous fungal infections involving skin tissue rather
than hair shafts occur in animals and in people.13 Causative
fungi are ubiquitous saprophytic organisms that include
pigmented (dematiaceous) and nonpigmented species.13
Cutaneous fungal disease in the horse can be an invasive,
ulcerative and progressive infection including pythiosis
(caused by Pythium spp.; not a true fungus, but often
included in the spectrum of mycotic disease),3 zygomycosis
(caused by various fungi in the orders Mucorales and Entomophthorales) and sporotrichosis (caused by Sporothrix
schenckii).37 However, it can also occur as nodular, nonprogressive lesions3,4,6,7 caused by numerous opportunistic
fungi.3 Pigmented fungi reported to cause nodular nonprogressive cutaneous lesions in horses include Alternaria
alternata,8,9 Madurella mycetomatis,10 Curvularia verruculosa,3 Bipolaris speciferum,3,11 Cladosporium species,3
and Exserohilum rostratum.3 Nonpigmented fungi reported
to cause localized fungal infections in horses include
Pseudallescheria boydii,3,12 Aspergillus versicolor,3,13
Alternaria tenuis,14 and Scedosporium apiospermum.15
The terminology used to define cutaneous mycoses and
to classify causative fungi is often confusing and has often
been changed.3 In the current classification scheme of
nonprogressive cutaneous mycoses, chromomycosis refers
to infection by pigmented fungi and includes infections
with both hyphal and yeast forms (phaeohyphomycosis)
and infections with fungi growing primarily as yeast forms
(chromoblastomycosis).13 Hyalohyphomycosis refers to
lesions caused by nonpigmented fungi forming hyphae.1,3
Eumycotic mycetoma (maduromycosis) refers to cutaneous infection by either pigmented or nonpigmented fungi
with characteristic tissue grains (granules) composed of
fungal hyphae and degenerate cells.3,6 Eumycotic mycetomas are typically ulcerated, with persistent discharge from
tract lesions; however, horses with cutaneous eumycotic
mycetoma do not always have draining tracts.3 Nodular
cutaneous fungal infection caused by Alternaria species in
horses has also been described as Alternaria dermatitis.3
Cutaneous fungal infections in horses have been
reported in many geographical areas, but previous reports
of nonprogressive fungal granulomas describe only a
single case or only a small number of cases.823 Equine
cutaneous nodular fungal infection has been reported to be
rare, comprising less than 0.5% of skin biopsy submissions.3

2006 The Authors. Journal compilation 2006 European Society of Veterinary Dermatology. 17; 266272

Equine fungal granuloma

Table 1. Characteristics of 44 cutaneous fungal granulomas in 34

horses

Lymphoid
predominant
Predominantly pyogranulomatous
Eosinophils
Grains
Plant material
Single
Multiple
Mean size (mm)
Mean horse age (year)
Dry climate
Wet climate

Pigmented
fungi

Unpigmented
fungi

15

26

1
1
0
1
15
5
7.4
5.3
7
4

2
1
1
2
6
4
7.2
6.5
6
17

However, a recent survey concluded that this condition is

relatively common in equine biopsy submissions to the
Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at Oregon State University,
accounting for 1.7% of all nodular and proliferative skin
lesions submitted in a 3.5-year period.24
The purpose of this study was to expand the previous
3.5 years study of equine cutaneous fungal infection, and
to characterize the nature of the lesions identified, the
horses affected, and the geographical areas in which
lesions occurred. Seasonal rainfall and temperature data
were examined to determine whether climatic factors
were associated with annual incidence of equine cutaneous nodular fungal infections during the time of the study.

Materials and methods

Data collection
A retrospective search of the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory
records was conducted for a 14.5-year period (July 1991 through
December 2005). Medical records of horses with cutaneous fungal
infections were examined. All cases identified, with the exception of
cases of dermatophytosis, were included in this study. Veterinarians
or owners were contacted to obtain follow-up information. The following information was retrieved from medical records: horse breed,
sex and age, number of lesions present, lesion location, duration of
lesion prior to excision, fungal culture, geographical region where the
horse resides, and month of the year that lesion developed. Horses
were considered to have multiple fungal lesions only if more than
one was confirmed by histopathological evaluation. Temperature and
rainfall data in Oregon during the study period, available through the
National Climatic Data Center archived at the Oregon Climate Service
at Oregon State University, and the occurrence and features of cutaneous fungal granulomas occurring in horses in geographical areas
with high average annual rainfall (5081016 mm) and in horses from
dry regions (annual rainfall < 508 mm), were examined.

Histopathological analysis
Microscopic sections stained with haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and
with periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) and/or Grocotts methenamine-silver
(GMS) for fungus were examined. The lesion size for all lesions was
determined by measuring with a microscope ruler the maximum
diameter of the lesion. The nature of the inflammatory response, microscopic feature of the fungi present, and the presence or absence of
associated plant material were recorded.

Statistical analysis
The mean age and standard deviation were calculated for all horses.
The mean age of horses with single and multiple lesions, the mean

age of horses with granulomas caused by pigmented and nonpigmented fungi, and the mean diameter of lesions with pigmented
and nonpigmented fungi were compared using the Students t-test.
A P < 0.05 was considered significant. All statistical analyses were
performed using Microsoft Excel Data Analysis.

Results
One to two fungal lesions were submitted from each horse
and a total of 44 lesions from 34 horses were examined.
The characteristics of the lesions, ages of horses studied,
and climate where horses resided are summarized in
Table 1. Breeds were quarter horse (13), paint (5), crossbred
(3), thoroughbred (2), Arabian (2), Morgan (1), Norwegian
Fjord (1), appaloosa (1), haflinger (1), Friesian (1), Rocky
Mountain horse (1), and Lipizzan (1). Breed was not specified for two horses. There were 14 males and 16 females.
Sex was not specified in four cases. The age of 28 horses
was recorded. The overall mean age was 6.1 4.2 years
(range 119 years). The mean age for horses with multiple
lesions (4.8 3.6 years; range 211 years) was less than
that of horses with single lesions (6.9 4.7 years; range
119 years), but this difference was not significant
(P > 0.05). The mean age of horses with lesions associated
with pigmented fungi (5.3 2.9 years; range 119 years)
was not significantly different (P > 0.05) than the mean
age of horses with nonpigmented fungi lesions (6.5
4.7 years; range 212 years). Nineteen of 28 horses were
6 years of age or younger.
Twenty-one horses had single granulomas and eight
horses had multiple granulomas. Five additional horses
were reported to have multiple skin masses but only one
was examined histologically. Multiple granulomas were
associated with a similar type of fungus in all but one horse.
This horse had developed two lesions 6 months apart, and
one contained pigmented hyphae and one contained
nonpigmented hyphae.
The location of lesions was recorded in 29 horses.
Fungal granulomas were most commonly identified on
the head, including the lips and ears (14 lesions) and neck
(8 lesions). Less common locations were the shoulder
region (3 lesions), thorax or flank (3 lesions), leg (3 lesions),
and tail (1 lesion). Two horses with granulomas caused by
pigmented fungi were described as having generalized
skin nodules and the location was not recorded for seven
lesions. Draining tracts were not described in any case.
Granulomas caused by nonpigmented fungi were most
common on the head and neck (19/23 lesions). No site
predilection was found for granulomas caused by pigmented fungi. Lesions had been present from less than
1 week to 1.5 years prior to excision. No fungi were isolated from the one sample submitted for fungal culture.
Thirty-three horses were from Oregon and one was from
California. The month of development of fungal granuloma
was reported in 32 Oregon horses (Fig. 1). Fungal granulomas developed from February through November. Peak
months were April (five cases) and July (seven cases).
Five of six lesions occurring in February, October, or
November were in horses from dry climates.
Fungal granulomas occurred in 21 horses living in
western Oregon, an area with high average annual rainfall,
and in 12 horses living in central and eastern Oregon, areas
with low average annual rainfall (Table 1). Granulomas

2006 The Authors. Journal compilation 2006 European Society of Veterinary Dermatology.

267

Valentine et al.

Figure 1. Month of occurrence of cutaneous fungal granulomas in 32

Oregon horses. The number of horses is indicated on the y axis.

caused by nonpigmented fungi were most common in

horses living in areas with high average rainfall, and
occurred in 17 of the 21 affected horses in these areas.
Oregon horses living in dry regions had granulomas that
were caused by either pigmented (6/12) or nonpigmented
(6/12) fungi. The horse with one granuloma with pigmented
fungi and one with nonpigmented fungi was from a dry
region. The case from California was in a horse from a
dry area (San Diego), and involved pigmented fungi. No
information was available regarding housing, that is, whether
horses were kept in stalls or had access to pasture.
The number of fungal granulomas submitted per year
in this 14.5-year period varied from none (2 years) to five
(1 year). The total annual equine submissions were similar
during this time frame. No association with temperature or
rainfall in the winter and spring prior to lesion development
was apparent.
Follow-up information ranging from 2 weeks to
11 years was available for 12 horses, and indicated no
regrowth of lesions following surgical excision. One horse
was reported to have spontaneous resolution of multiple
smaller nodules, but these lesions were not examined
by either histology or cytology, and therefore were not
confirmed to be fungal granulomas.
All cutaneous mycoses identified were noninvasive
nodular lesions. The mean histological diameter of skin
masses was 7.3 3.3 mm (range 2.5 20 mm). There was
no significant difference (P > 0.05) between the diameter
of granulomas with pigmented fungi (mean 7.4 mm) and
granulomas with nonpigmented fungi (mean 7.2 mm).
Histological features were remarkably similar in all cases.
Masses occurred as discrete single or multilobed nodules.
All but one mass was located within the dermis (Fig. 2a). The
one mass with tissue grains characteristic of eumycotic
mycetoma involved the subcutis. The overlying epidermis
was intact in all but three lesions and was of normal thickness or exhibited very mild hyperplasia. The nodules were
composed primarily of inflammatory cells with few to
moderate numbers of fungal elements. The primary inflammation in all but three lesions was lymphocytic. The three
exceptions were lesions excised within 2 weeks after
development in which neutrophils and macrophages
(admixed with eosinophils in two cases) predominated.
Fungal elements were often found within and associated with macrophages and multinucleate macrophages
268

(Fig. 2b,c,d) and were often surrounded by a thin rim of

neutrophils (Fig. 2b,d,e). Nonpigmented fungi consisted
primarily of fragments of variable diameter (approximately
210 m), often branching, hyphae with globose swollen
ends and occasional terminal chlamydoconidia measuring
approximately 1015 m (Fig. 2c). No dichotomous branching suggestive of Aspergillus spp. was seen. Pigmented
fungi consisted primarily of large, round, thick-walled yeast
forms (Medlar bodies, approximately 1020 m diameter;
Fig. 2b) with few to moderate numbers of often fragmented, variable diameter (approximately 510 m), irregularly septate and occasionally branching hyphae (Fig. 2d).
Tissue grains were found in only one lesion and were
associated with nonpigmented fungi. Tissue grains were
composed of tangled masses of thin (approximately
25 m) fungal hyphae with terminal enlargement
(chlamydoconidia) that were only faintly stained with GMS
stain, admixed with acellular eosinophilic material (Fig. 2e).
Intralesional plant material was found in three granulomas.
The overlying skin was intact in two of these lesions and
only focally ulcerated in the third. In all three lesions the
plant material was a single piece and was deeply embedded within the mass. In one lesion, removed within days
of development, numerous pigmented fungal hyphae were
present on and within the plant fragment (Fig. 1f). The
other two lesions with plant material were associated with
nonpigmented fungi, one of which also exhibited abundant hyphae at the interface between plant material and
animal tissue. One of the masses with prominent eosinophils was a lesion containing plant material.

Discussion
All lesions identified were localized, nodular, dermal
masses consisting primarily of inflammatory cells, frequently
with very few fungal elements. An intense lymphocytic
response was typical, and lymphocytic inflammation
formed the majority of the nodule in all but three lesions.
The three exceptions were early lesions removed soon
after development. The intensity of the lymphocytic
response was such that, until small foci of pyogranulomatous inflammation, multinucleate giant cells and
fungal elements were identified, a diagnosis of pseudolymphoma25 was often considered. Ulceration or other
alteration of the overlying skin was rare. Causative fungi
were either pigmented or nonpigmented. Tissue grains
were identified in only one of 44 lesions. Eosinophilic
inflammation, a characteristic of equine pythiosis,36 was
uncommon, and was seen only in early lesions, in one
case associated with embedded plant material.
Cutaneous fungal granulomas in horses are thought to
be most often caused by penetrating plant material or
by secondary infection of traumatized skin.3,4 There was
no history of wounds prior to granuloma formation in the
horses studied, but plant material was present in three
cases. Associated skin was not extensively ulcerated and
the plant material occurred as single fragments, deep
within the inflammatory lesions, suggesting that it was
not introduced secondarily through areas of ulceration.
The common occurrence of lesions on the head, neck, and
shoulder, supports introduction of fungi associated with
penetrating plant material, as might occur when horses

2006 The Authors. Journal compilation 2006 European Society of Veterinary Dermatology.

Equine fungal granuloma

Figure 2. Microscopic appearance of equine cutaneous fungal granulomas. (a) Skin; horse, fungal granuloma (phaeohyphomycosis). Discrete
dermal nodular mass composed primarily of lymphocytes. There are small foci of pigmented fungi forming hyphae and yeast surrounded by a thin
rim of neutrophils, macrophages, and multinucleate giant cells. The overlying epidermis is intact. H&E. Bar = 200 m. (b) Skin; horse, fungal
granuloma (chromoblastomycosis). Pigmented fungi forming yeast bodies within a multinucleate macrophage. There is a thin rim of surrounding
neutrophils. H&E. Bar = 40 m. (c) Skin; horse, fungal granuloma (hyalohyphomycosis). Fragments of nonpigmented fungi, primarily round to oval
chlamydoconidia, with an associated granulomatous inflammatory response. H&E. Bar = 40 m. Inset: Higher magnification of irregularly septate
and branching nonpigmented fungal hyphae. Periodic acid-Schiff stain. Bar = 15 m. (d) Skin; horse, fungal granuloma (phaeohyphomycosis).
Irregularly septate and branching pigmented hyphae with an associated pyogranulomatous inflammatory response. H&E. Bar = 60 m. Inset:
Higher magnification of the causative fungi. Grocotts methenamine-silver (GMS) stain. Bar = 10 m. (e) Skin; horse, fungal granuloma (eumycotic
mycetoma; maduromycosis). Tissue grain composed of masses of indistinct thin nonpigmented fungal hyphae with associated amorphous
acellular eosinophilic material. There is surrounding pyogranulomatous inflammation. H&E. Bar = 75 m. Inset: Fungal hyphae within the grain
are faintly stained with GMS stain. Bar = 15 m. (f) Skin; horse, fungal granuloma (phaeohyphomycosis). A large plant fragment is present with
surface pigmented fungal hyphae. There is intense surrounding neutrophilic inflammation. H&E. Bar = 100 m. Inset: Higher magnification of the
fungal hyphae growing on and within the plant material (arrows). GMS stain. Bar = 50 m.

2006 The Authors. Journal compilation 2006 European Society of Veterinary Dermatology.

269

Valentine et al.

browse thorny plants or rub on trees or wood structures.

The presence of numerous fungal hyphae associated with
two plant fragments further supports the hypothesis that
fungi are introduced by penetrating plant material. It is
possible that plant material is eventually degraded or
extruded, with only fungi remaining. Involvement of the
skin of the legs, a common site of invasive infections such
as pythiosis,47 was uncommon. It is possible that saprophytic fungi commonly found on the skin surface of horses3,26
are introduced at the time of plant penetration. But
Oregon is home to numerous potentially skin-penetrating
plants that are host to a wide variety of fungi, including
several species known to cause cutaneous fungal granulomas in horses (e.g. Cladosporium spp., Aspergillus spp.,
Alternaria spp., Curvularia spp., Bipolaris spp.).27 It is
suspected that fungi naturally associated with penetrating
plant material are the most likely cause of equine cutaneous fungal granuloma in this area. Furthermore, numerous fungi are natural colonists of wood-building materials,
such as fence posts and stalls, where they could be
introduced by splintered fragments of wood.
As previously reported,24 cutaneous fungal granulomas
were most common in young horses, with 22 of 28 horses
for which age was known being less than 10 years of age.
Possible predisposing factors include the natural inquisitiveness of young horses, which may increase the risk of
cutaneous plant or splinter penetration, and development
of age-related immunity. Young age has been reported in
horses with pythiosis and zygomycosis,22 although other
authors report no age predilection.3 Immunization is often
an effective therapy for equine pythiosis.28 Delayed-type
hypersensitivity reactions to intradermal injection of
Pythium antigen occur in recovered horses,3 which indicate an important role of the immune response in equine
cutaneous fungal disease.
Equine cutaneous nodular fungal infections have been
reported to frequently undergo spontaneous remission.3
The presence of intense inflammation with few fungal
elements in the majority of lesions studied supports this
finding. In one horse, multiple lesions were reported to
regress following excision of one fungal granuloma; however, neither cytology nor histopathology was performed
to confirm that all lesions were caused by fungi. Duration
prior to spontaneous remission was not reported. In one
horse in this study, a fungal granuloma persisted for
1.5 years prior to excision. As previously reported,3,4
surgical excision of these localized lesions was curative.
Oregon is a state of diverse climatic conditions, particularly
in regard to rainfall and temperature.29 Fungal granulomas
occurred in very temperate and wet regions and in very
dry regions with cold winters and hot summers. Most
cutaneous fungal granulomas in horses in geographical
areas with high rainfall levels were caused by nonpigmented fungi. This is despite the fact that many of the
plant fungi that occur in vegetation in wet areas of Oregon
are pigmented.27 Plant melanin associated with pigmentation promotes survival in the environment, as a melanized
wall resists damage caused by dessication and ultraviolet
light.30,31 Fungal melanin production may also contribute
to virulence.32,33 Some fungal species form melanin only
with age or in response to stress,30 suggesting that classification of fungal lesions based on pigment production
270

in tissue may not be entirely accurate. For example,

Alternaria species can cause either phaeohyphomycosis8,9
or hyalohyphomycosis.3,14
Unusually wet conditions may be a predisposing factor
in development of pythiosis in horses,3,4,7,22 but this
relationship has been disputed.6 No association with annual
weather conditions was detected in this study. However,
the number of cases per year was small, making detection
of weather-associated risk factors difficult.
In the previous study of Oregon horses, equine cutaneous
fungal granulomas occurred exclusively in March through
July, with peak incidence in April.24 In this current study,
fungal granulomas occurred in Oregon horses in all months
except for December and January. However, 21 of 32
horses developed granulomas in March through July, with
peak incidence in April and July. Granulomas in horses in
dry regions were more likely to occur in February, October,
and November than those in horses living in wet regions.
The findings reported here indicate that various fungi
are associated with this characteristic lesion in horses.
Identification of the causative species allows for the most
specific classification, and relies on fungal culture3 immunofluorescent,12,34 or immunohistochemical procedures.3
The exact types of fungi involved in these cases are not
known, as fungal isolation was unsuccessful in the one
case in which it was attempted, and neither immunofluorescence nor immunohistochemistry was attempted in
this study. The failure to submit samples for fungal culture
is not unexpected, given the nonulcerated nature of the
nodular lesions and resolution following surgical excision.
The wide variation in morphology of the causative fungi
suggests that multiple fungal species are capable of causing cutaneous fungal granulomas in horses. No significant
difference in age of affected horses or in size or clinical
behaviour of lesions was detected for granulomas
associated with pigmented fungi (chromomycosis, both
phaeohyphomycosis and chromoblastomycosis) or those
caused by nonpigmented fungi (hyalohyphomycosis and
eumycotic mycetoma).
In summary, focal or multifocal nodular cutaneous fungal
granulomas caused by a variety of fungi are relatively
common in horses in Oregon. The most common lesion
in horses in wet regions of the state was a granuloma
caused by nonpigmented fungi occurring on the head or
neck during the months of March through September.
Lesions in horses from dry regions were more variable
regarding fungal characteristics, body location, and month
of occurrence. Predisposing factors leading to nodular
cutaneous fungal infections in horses in Oregon may
include climate (i.e. typically warm and wet winters in
many areas) and the presence of plants capable of penetrating skin (e.g. blackberry and other thorny plants,
numerous awn-producing plants, cacti, and sagebrush).
Other than the fungal morphology, notable differences
were not detected in signalment, history, or clinical and
histological features of the lesions studied. Rather than
subclassifying these lesions based on fungal characteristics
(e.g. phaeohyphomycosis, chromoblastomycosis, eumycotic mycetoma, maduromycosis, hyalohyphomycosis,
Alternaria dermatitis, etc.), it is proposed that the term
equine cutaneous fungal granuloma be employed for skin
lesions with these clinical and histopathological features.

2006 The Authors. Journal compilation 2006 European Society of Veterinary Dermatology.

Equine fungal granuloma

Acknowledgements
The authors thank Dr. Christiane Lhr for assistance with
the literature search.

16.

17.

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Rsum Quarante quatre granulomes fongiques nodulaires et non invasifs ont t identifis chez 34
chevaux sur une priode de 14.5 ans. Les granulomes cutans fongiques taient plus frquents chez des
chevaux jeunes (moyenne de 6.1 4.2 ans; variation 119 ans). Aucune prdisposition raciale ou sexuelle
na t note. Les granulomes taient uniques ou multiples, et le plus souvent localiss la peau de la face
et du cou. Les modifications histopathologiques typiques taient une masse nodulaire dermique dun
diamtre de 7.3 mm (variation 2.5 20 mm) et un pithlium intact. Les lsions prsentaient le plus souvent
une inflammation lymphocytaire massive, avec des lments fongiques en faible nombre. Les champignons
en cause taient la fois pigments ou non pigments, et dune morphologie variable. Des morceaux de
vgtaux ont galement t identifis dans trois cas. Les granulomes dus des champignons non
pigments taient les plus frquents chez les chevaux vivant en climat humide. En revanche, des granulomes champignons non pigments et champignons pigments ont t retrouvs chez les chevaux
vivant en climat sec. Les lsions taient retrouves entre fvrier et novembre, avec un pic en avril et en
juillet. Aucune corrlation na cependant pu tre retrouve pour la temprature et le nombre de jours de
pluie. Cette tude confirme que les granulomes fongiques sont relativement frquents chez le cheval dans
le nord ouest du Pacifique. La morphologie des champignons tait variable, mais lanamnse, les signes
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cliniques et histopathologiques taient relativement semblables. La chirurgie dxrse a permis dans tous
les cas la gurison.
Resumen Cuarenta y cuatro granulomas fngicos cutneos nodulares y no invasivos se identificaron
en 34 caballos durante un perodo de 14.5 aos. Los granulomas fngicos cutneos fueron ms comunes
en caballos jovenes (edad media 6.1 4.2 aos; rango de 119). No se observ una aparente preferencia
basada en gnero o raza. Los granulomas fueron solitarios o mltiples, y la mayoria de ellos ocurrieron en
la piel de la cabeza y del cuello. El hallazgo histolgico ms caraterstico se defini como una masa nodular
drmica con un dimetro medio de 7.3 mm (rango 2.520 mm) y un revestimiento epitelial intacto. Las
lesiones a menudo presentaron una infiltracin linfocitaria intensa, mezclada con inflamacin piogranulomatosa asociada con un nmero de pequeo a moderado de elementos fngicos. Los hongos causantes
fueron tanto organismos pigmentados como no pigmentados de morfologa variable. Material vegetal
insertado en la herida se identific en tres casos. Los granulomas originados por hongos no pigmentados
fueron ms comunes en los caballos de regiones hmedas. Tanto hongos pigmentados como no pigmentados
se hallaron en los granulomas de caballos procedentes de regiones secas. Los granulomas ocurrieron de
Febrero a Noviembre, con picos en Abril y Julio. No se apreci ninguna correlacin entre la incidencia anual
de granulomas con la temperatura media ni con la pluviosidad. Este estudio confirma que el granuloma
equino fngico cutneo es relativamente comn en caballos del Pacfico Noroeste en los EEUU. La morfologa
del agente causal fue variable, pero la resea, historia clnica, as como las caractersticas clnicas e histolgicas
fueron muy similares. La excisin quirrgica result ser curativa.
Zusammenfassung Vierundvierzig nodulre und nichtinvasive kutane Pilzgranulome wurden bei 34
Pferden ber einen Zeitraum von 14.5 Jahren identifiziert. Kutane Pilzgranulome waren am hufigsten bei
jungen Pferden (Durchschnittsalter 6.1 4.2 Jahre; Spannweite 119 Jahre). Es bestand kein aufflliger
Rassen- oder Geschlechtsunterschied. Die Granulome traten entweder einzeln oder multipel auf und
kamen am hufigsten in der Haut des Gesichts und Halses vor. Der charakteristische histologische Befund
war eine nodulre dermale Masse mit einem durchschnittlichen Durchmesser von 7.3 mm (Spannweite
2.5 20 mm) und einem intakten bergelagerten Epithel. Die Vernderungen zeigten am hufigsten eine
massive lymphozytre Entzndung, mit Beimischung einer pyogranulomatsen Entzndung, die mit einer
kleinen bis moderaten Anzahl von Pilzelementen assoziiert war. Die Erreger waren sowohl pigmentierte als
auch unpigmentierte Pilz-Organismen von variabler Morphologie. Durchdringendes Pflanzenmaterial wurde
in drei Fllen identifiziert. Granulome aufgrund von nichtpigmentierten Pilzen kamen am hufigsten
bei Pferden aus nassen Regionen vor. Sowohl pigmentierte als auch unpigmentierte Pilze wurden in
Granulomen von Pferden aus trockenen Gegenden gefunden. Die kutanen Pilzgranulome kamen von
Februar bis November vor, mit Hchstwerten im April und Juli. Es konnte keine Korrelation festgestellt
werden zwischen der jhrlichen Hufigkeit und der durchschnittlichen Jahrestemperatur bzw. Niederschlag.
Diese Studie besttigt, dass equine kutane Pilzgranulome relativ hufig bei Pferden im pazifischen Nordwesten auftreten. Die Morphologie der verursachenden Pilze war variabel, aber Signalement, die Anamnese,
die klinischen und allgemeinen histologischen Charakteristika waren sehr hnlich. Chirurgische Entfernung
war heilend.

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