Secondary sinusitis in a 7-year-old Part-Barb mare

This case reveals a scenario where 2 equal length deep incisions, of about 7cm, made on either side of the face caudal to the eye, led to a complicated infection of the paranasal sinuses. Though radiographic, sinuscopic and endoscopic examinations were not performed to further define the sinus disorder, the age of the animal, the nature of the clinical signs, and response to therapy, laboratory result and history were used to arrive at a diagnosis. This method of incision is an ancient ethno-veterinary practice among the equestrian communities of Northern Nigeria, introduced by the Chadian horse merchants. It is a procedure routinely used to extract the soft tissue commonly seen on the facial area in cases of osteodystrophia fibrosa, locally known as “Kumarmari” in Hausa language. Sinusitis ensued as a result of the incisions made with a distortion of the facial expression, dull percussion of the frontal sinusitis, rupture of the submandibular lymphnodes, pyrexia, unilateral mucopurulent nasal discharge and epiphora. After 7days of poor response to therapy a sensitivity test was carried out and the therapy was changed from procaine penicillin to trimethoprim and sulphadiazine combination (VetcotrimR SAM Pharmaceuticals).The incision was lavaged with normal saline twice daily and showed a marked improvement after 7 days. Initially, the body temperature which was 40.1o C subsided to 39.5o C by day 7, and finally dropped to 38.2o C on the tenth day.