Outcome of treatment in 23 horses with progressive ethmoidal haematoma

This paper describes the outcome of treatment in 23 horses with an ethmoidal haematoma. In 22 cases a diagnosis could be made by endoscopic means alone but in 1 horse the lesion was confined to the maxillary sinus and a diagnosis was made only at surgery. One horse was destroyed at the owner's request but the other 22 underwent radical excision of the lesion via a facial flap approach under general anaesthesia. Post-operative haemorrhage was controlled by nasal packing with a gauze bandage and this was removed between the 2nd and 4th post-operative day. One horse died from encephalitis the day after surgery. Other complications included facial wound dehiscence, sequestration and suture periostitis. Of 21 horses followed up post-operatively there was definite recurrence of lesion in 2 cases and possibly a third. However, in 18 horses there was no evidence of recurrence (follow up times were 2 to 85 months). It is suggested that radical excision of the lesion provides an effective means of treatment.