Electrochemotherapy with bleomycin for bilateral ocular squamous cell carcinoma in a horse

• Published in: Veterinary ophthalmology 2024-12
• Main Authors: Larsen, Majbritt M E, Eriksson, Anna, Impellizeri, Joseph A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1463-5224; 1463-5224
• DOI: 10.1111/vop.13310

To describe the procedure and outcome of electrochemotherapy (ECT) with bleomycin as a first-line treatment for bilateral ocular surface squamous neoplasia (OSSN) in the eye of a horse. A client-owned 5-year-old Haflinger gelding with limbal-conjunctival squamous cell carcinoma. During general and local anesthesia, injection of bleomycin in the ocular tumor was followed by electroporation, applied with a 15 mm needle electrode, needles held parallel to the ocular surface. Treatment with ECT resulted in therapeutic electric pulses and complete tumor response with no recurrence during follow-up. Tumor toxicity as a result of treatment was mild, with no adverse effect to normal tissue. In this case of bilateral ocular tumors, staged ECT with bleomycin was shown to be a safe and effective treatment with complete tumor remission and no recurrence during the observation period. The result suggests ECT as a possible treatment in ocular tumors, with further research recommended.