Open AccessNeonatal Alloimmune Thrombocytopenia in a Quarter Horse Foal
Author(s) -
BuechnerMaxwell Virginia,
Scott Michael A.,
Godber Leanne,
Kristensen Annemarie
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
journal of veterinary internal medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.356
H-Index - 103
eISSN - 1939-1676
pISSN - 0891-6640
DOI - 10.1111/j.1939-1676.1997.tb00470.x
Subject(s) - foal , medicine , horse , neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia , pediatrics , pregnancy , fetus , paleontology , genetics , biology , history , archaeology
Neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia is recognized as a spontaneous disease of human infants, piglets, and possibly mules, but it has not been previously reported in horses. A 1–day‐old Quarter Horse foal presented to Michigan State University Large Animal Clinic with severe thrombocytopenia of unknown origin. Immunoglobulins that bound to the foal's platelets were identified in the mare's plasma, serum, and milk by indirect assays. The immunoglobulins were further shown to recognize platelets from the foal's full brother, born 1 year earlier. These findings, coupled with the clinical course of the foal during its period of hospitalization, strongly suggest that neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia can spontaneously occur in neonatal horses. This diagnosis should be considered for foals with severe thrombocytopenia when other causes can be excluded, and platelet antibody assays should be used to support this diagnosis.