Atypical Myopathy: An Update

Atypical Myopathy (aM) is an acute disease of horses on pasture, carrying a high mortality with most cases occurring in autumn or spring. aM has been recognized
in Europe since the 1980s with sporadic occurrence of disease. affected horses show peracute to acute signs of a generalized myopathy characterized by lethargy, colic- like pain, muscle stiffness, trembling, severe sweating, recumbency and death. Horses present with tachycardia, tachypnea, congested mucous membranes and myoglobinuria. predominantly oxidative type i muscle fibres are affected which are found in respiratory and postural muscles. Clinical pathologic findings include severe elevations of CK, aSt, and LDH. Lactate is frequently elevated, whereas electrolyte abnormalities reveal hypocalcaemia, hyponatraemia and hypochloridaemia. the disease carries a poor prognosis and affects mainly young adult horses on pasture. […]