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
eMail: 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 (instructions below) be collected and sent 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).........$ -20
Each slide (for eye)........................$ -18
Evaluation..................................$ 100
TOTAL COST at least.........................$ 656

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