Study: Cream Effective for Horses With Aural Plaques, But Not Intended for All

A cream containing 5% imiquimod (an immune-boosting drug) effectively and completely treated aural plaques in horses, but side effects of the drug (e.g., inflammatory reaction) limit the cream’s usefulness, reported a group of researchers from Minnesota and California. Aural plaques are usually white, crusty lesions covering a layer of shiny red skin found on the inside (concave surface) of a
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A cream containing 5% imiquimod (an immune-boosting drug) effectively and completely treated aural plaques in horses, but side effects of the drug (e.g., inflammatory reaction) limit the cream's usefulness, reported a group of researchers from Minnesota and California.

Aural plaques are usually white, crusty lesions covering a layer of shiny red skin found on the inside (concave surface) of a horse's ear. The cause of aural plaques is unknown; however, they are suspected to be caused by a papilloma viral infection spread by biting insects.

According to lead researcher Sheila Torres, DVM, MS, PhD, Dipl. ACVD (dermatology), from the College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, "Aural plaques can either be asymptomatic or cause severe ear sensitivity and head shaking."

Torres relayed that treatment options "are few and all anecdotal

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Written by:

Stacey Oke, MSc, DVM, is a practicing veterinarian and freelance medical writer and editor. She is interested in both large and small animals, as well as complementary and alternative medicine. Since 2005, she’s worked as a research consultant for nutritional supplement companies, assisted physicians and veterinarians in publishing research articles and textbooks, and written for a number of educational magazines and websites.

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