Nodular Skin Disease

Nodular skin disease is one of several allergic and immune-mediated dermal conditions occurring in horses. To ensure that your horse receives the most effective care possible, familiarize yourself with the signs and treatment options associated with nodular skin disease.

  1. Features

    • Nodular skin disease is a term that groups together several equine skin conditions, including mastocytoma, axillary nodular necrosis, unilateral papular dermatosis and nodular necrobiosis. The latter is the most common.

    Identification

    • With the exception of cases involving trauma, the skin and hair surrounding the nodules retain a normal appearance.

    Symptoms

    • Horses suffering from nodular skin disease may experience non-ulceral dermal nodules measuring one to two centimeters in diameter and lesions, particularly on the girth, dorsum and neck regions. These symptoms tend to appear during the warm seasons of the year.

    Causes

    • While no one definitive cause of nodular skin disease has been identified, the disease has been linked to saddle and tack trauma, as well as hypersensitivity to insect bites.

    Prevention/Solution

    • Cases of few lesions are treated with methylprednisolone and intralesional triamcinolone acetonamide, while prednisolone is used to treat multi-lesional cases. Additional treatment options include biopsy.

    Misconceptions

    • There is no evidence suggesting that horses of one sex or of a particular breed or age are more prone to developing nodular skin disease than are others.