December 2016 Melanomas It is well documented that ninety percent of gray horses over the age of 15 are diagnosed with melanomas. This tumor may be found at any age and can occur anywhere in the body. Often, they are small and unobtrusive but on other occasions are quite invasive and may affect bowel and urinary function. Another very common site is the lips, where the swelling may interfere with use of a bit. The images shown here depict a case where the THE IMPORTANCE OF lesions were invasive enough that the 6’s had PRESURGICAL RADIOGRAPHS lacerated the cheeks. In this situation, the solution BEFORE ATTEMPTING MAJOR was to perform extreme bit seats or rostral profiling EXTRACTIONS. to allow for the expansion of the tumor. If the No.6 pulp was exposed, temporary fillings could have We must admit that we have all attempted major been employed. If this had been a geriatric patient, extractions without radiographs and been quite extraction of the 6’s might have been successful and lucky. However, this approach considered. This area of the lip is not usually cannot be recommended, as demonstrated by this amenable to surgical excision but a new vaccine is reported to be successful in many cases. If the case. A 3-year-old grey thoroughbred was presented to a clinic with the complaint that a sore Dental Provider advises their clients when the on the face would not heal. It was recognized as a lesions are quite small, appropriate therapy may be fistula and most likely of dental origin. An oral instituted to preserve performance as well as exam revealed obvious 108 pathology and appeared comfort. to be an uncomplicated extraction. One and a half hours later, little progress had been made and the procedure was abandoned. The case was referred to another facility for radiographic imaging and this massive lesion was noted. The actual procedure required two and a half hours from an intraoral approach and another one and a half hours under general anesthesia to complete the operation. radiographs would have saved a great deal of time and expense and revealed that this was a case for referral to a facility with highly skilled dental practitioners.
Melanomas It is well documented that ninety percent of gray horses over the age of 15 are diagnosed with melanomas. This tumor may be found at any age and can occur anywhere in the body. Often, they are small and unobtrusive but on other occasions are quite invasive and may affect bowel and urinary function. Another very common site is the lips, where the swelling may interfere with use of a bit. The images shown here depict a case where the lesions were invasive enough that the 6’s had lacerated the cheeks. In this situation, the solution was to perform extreme bit seats or rostral profiling to allow for the expansion of the tumor. If the No.6 pulp was exposed, temporary fillings could have been employed. If this had been a geriatric patient, extraction of the 6’s might have been considered. This area of the lip is not usually amenable to surgical excision but a new vaccine is reported to be successful in many cases. If the Dental Provider advises their clients when the lesions are quite small, appropriate therapy may be instituted to preserve performance as well as comfort. December 2016 THE IMPORTANCE OF PRESURGICAL RADIOGRAPHS BEFORE ATTEMPTING MAJOR EXTRACTIONS. We must admit that we have all attempted major extractions without radiographs and been quite successful and lucky. However, this approach cannot be recommended, as demonstrated by this case. A 3-year-old grey thoroughbred was presented to a clinic with the complaint that a sore on the face would not heal. It was recognized as a fistula and most likely of dental origin. An oral exam revealed obvious 108 pathology and appeared to be an uncomplicated extraction. One and a half hours later, little progress had been made and the procedure was abandoned. The case was referred to another facility for radiographic imaging and this massive lesion was noted. The actual procedure required two and a half hours from an intraoral approach and another one and a half hours under general anesthesia to complete the operation. radiographs would have saved a great deal of time and expense and revealed that this was a case for referral to a facility with highly skilled dental practitioners.
Cases+Jan+16-Dec+16.docx