Traumatic skin injuries caused by the thorns of Mimosa pudica and Mimosa debilis in Equidae

Belo Reis A. S., Duarte M. D., Sousa M. G. S., Freitas N.F.Q.R., Yamasaki E. M., Silva A. G. M., Oliveira C. M. C. & Barbosa J.D. 2011. [Traumatic skin injuries caused by the thorns of Mimosa pudica and Mimosa debilis in Equidae.] Lesoes traumaticas de pele causadas pelos espinhos de Mimosa pudica e Mimosa debilis em equideos. Pesquisa Veterinaria Brasileira 31(9): 768-772. Central de Diagnostico Veterinario, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidade Federal do Para, Campus Castanhal, Rua Maximino Porpino da Silva 1000, Castanhal, PA 68740-080, Brazil. E-mail: alessandra.belo.reis@gmail.com Studies on the nature and cause of skin lesions in horses on a farm in the county of Castanhal, northeastern Para, Brazil were conducted. These were visits to the farm, epidemiological studies, blood sample collections, skin biopsies, and inspection of the pasture. The study included 25 Equidae, 14 males and 11 females, six months to eight years old. The animals showed ulcerative lesions of irregular borders on the head (nose, muzzle, upper and lower lips), in the oral cavity (buccal vestibule and gum) and on the limbs (billets, metacarpals and metatarsals and scapular-humeral joint). The histopathological examination revealed foci of cutaneous erosions with epidermal necrosis, spongiosis and vesicular degeneration of the remaining epidermis, and mild inflammatory infiltrate in the underlying dermis, consisting predominantly of macrophages and, to a lesser degree, eosinophils. The inspection of the pasture, which consisted of Brachiaria humidicola, revealed a heavy invasion by two plants provided with spines, Mimosa pudica and Mimosa debilis, of the Leguminosae Mimosoideae family. It was concluded that the skin lesions were caused by traumatic action of the spines of Mimosa pudica and Mimosa debilis.