Or if cost is not a problem, please review this webpage on the protocol for harvesting tissues for diagnosis at euthanasia. Tissue Diagnosis Protocol
Each case is very important to document so we know how wide spread this disease actually is in all breeds and crossbreds. Thank you for your help, so we can help the horses through research.
NEW PROCEEDURE~ You may also want to do a nuchal ligament biopsy which can be done on a live horse so DSLD/ESPA can be checked for internally for proteoglycan accumulation by Dr Halper. This is a new proceedure being offered for those that want a diagnosis in place of or in addition to ultrasounds using Dr Mero's Diagnostic Protocol. A nuchal biopsy MAY show symptoms before they show up in ultrasounds. Several horses have been tested by biopsy, some have had no outward symptoms, but confirmed DSLD internally. This is still being documented, so the more cases using the biopsy the more documentation will be available to research for use as a possible early detection proceedure. For details, Click Here
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Tissue Diagnosis of DSLD
Dr. Jaroslava Halper
Department of Pathology
College of Veterinary Medicine
The University of Georgia
Athens, GA 30602-7388
Phone: 1-706-542-5830
Fax: 1-706-542-5828
e-mail: jhalper@vet.uga.edu
Our laboratory will accept tissues from horses known or suspected to have DSLD. Though there is no definitive diagnostic test for DSLD available at the present time, our testing will provide you with positive results consistent with the presence of DSLD in your horse. Negative results mean that in all likelihood the examined horse did not have DSLD. The more tissues we can get, the more accurate our testing will be. This will also increase our capability to assess the extent and severity of the disease. A necropsy provides us with the most information. However we recognize that this is not always possible. We suggest that the following tissues be collected and send to our laboratory either frozen on ice (by overnight mail) or fixed in formalin:
The bundle of three tendons (superficial and deep digital flexor tendons, suspensory ligaments) from at least one affected leg and leg appearing healthy (most of them will be affected). If possible ask your veterinarian to cut the tendons proximally at the level of the proximal third metacarpus and distally at the level of the metacarpophalangeal joint above the fetlock. Other tissues: a piece of nuchal ligament (0.5-1 inch in diameter), aorta (please indicate which portion of the aorta, about 1 inch long), proximal portion of heart with coronary arteries, eyes. I would particularly appreciate getting tendons and the entire aorta and heart from horses who die suddenly of natural but no apparent causes.
Costs:
Total necropsy evaluation:
Necropsy $ 350
One hematoxylin@eosin stained slide $ 6
(usually 28 slides collected $ 168)
(Special stain (e.g., alcian stain) at least $ 20)
Each slide (for eye) $ 18
Evaluation $ 100
TOTAL COST at least $ 654
Eye slides are much larger and eye tissues are more difficult to process ($18/slide). The costs do not involve any admission fees and euthanasia. Hematoxylin & eosin is the basic stain in histology. We usually do alcian blue (special stain) to show that the material accumulated in tissues is proteoglycan.
Partial evaluation:
Depends on number of slides
H&E slide $ 6
Eye slide $ 18
Special stain at least $ 20
Evaluation $ 50
Please feel free to contact me if you have further questions. Please email me before tissues are sent.
