Amniotic Membrane for Treatment of Equine Corneal Ulcers

Does adding amniotic membrane to the treatment of equine corneal ulcers improve or speed healing?

Adding a commercially available amniotic membrane extract topically to antibiotic, antifungal and mydriatic medical therapy for experimentally induced equine superficial corneal ulcers did not significantly increase the rate of re-epithelialization compared with medical therapy alone. iStock

A recently published article discussed, “Commercial amniotic membrane extract for treatment of corneal ulcers in adult horses.” It was authored by Lyons, V.N.; Townsend, W.M.; Moore, G.E.; and Liang, S.

In this controlled experimental trial, the authors evaluated the effect of amniotic membrane extract on re-epithelialization of experimentally induced corneal ulcers in 10 healthy horses. 

 A corneal ulcer measuring 8 mm diameter was created bilaterally in each horse using a diamond burr. One eye was treated with amniotic membrane extract and the opposite was treated with the extract vehicle only (control). All eyes were treated with topical medical therapy (antibiotic, antifungal and mydriatic). Ulcers were stained with fluorescein and photographed in 12-hour increments until completely healed.

All eyes healed within 165.2 ± 76.3 hours. Eyes treated with amniotic membrane extract healed in 162.7 ± 68.2 hours, whereas eyes treated with the control healed in 167.6 ± 87.4 hours. The treatment group was not significantly associated with size of ulcers over time. Regardless of therapy, healing occurred in two distinct phases: an initial rapid phase with an average duration of 48–54 hours and a second, slower phase with a variable duration.

Bottom line: Adding a commercially available amniotic membrane extract topically to antibiotic, antifungal and mydriatic medical therapy for experimentally induced equine superficial corneal ulcers did not significantly increase the rate of re-epithelialization compared with medical therapy alone.

You can read or access this article on the Wiley online library.

categories
tags
Trending Articles
Yearling filly on pasture
Disease Du Jour: OCD in Horses 
Farrier at the hoof care on the horse
AAEP Health Coverage: Barefoot Methodology
Confident female vet standing by horse in stable
How Equine Veterinarians Can Avoid Mental Traps 
Female Vet With Digital Tablet Examining Horse In Stable
AAEP Business Coverage: Equine Financial Statement Benchmarks 
Newsletter
Get the best from EquiManagement delivered straight to your inbox once a week! Topics include horse care, disease alerts, and vet practitioner updates.

"*" indicates required fields

Name*
Country*

Additional Offers

Untitled
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.