Treatment of Malignant Fibrous Histiocytoma in a Donkey With Catharanthus Roseus Extract - A Case Report

Malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) is a pleomorphic sarcoma of unknown etiology that rarely occurs in equines (horses and donkeys). In September 2021, a case of an 8-year-old female donkey with a tumor mass in the right eye was admitted to Animal Care (ACE) Hospital in Luxor, Egypt. The case underwent both clinicopathological and radiological examination. Based on microscopic examination, the morphological diagnosis was malignant fibrous histiocytoma. Radiological assessment (X-ray) revealed a non-metastatic tumor mass. An aqueous extract of Catharanthus roseus leaves and flowers was (ESC16) prepared by cold maceration and characterized by GC-MS analysis. The tumor was treated with 0.9 ml of an intratumoral injection of extract ESC16 and received one injection every other day for 50 days due to the large size of the tumor mass. The tumor showed macroscopic regression over the study period. To our knowledge,this is the first time that MFH in a donkey has been treated with C. roseus extract. ESC16 showed efficacy in treating MFH in that female donkey. Thus, it may be concluded that the intralesional injection of aqueous extract of C. roseus could be a promising antitumor agent for equine MFH in the Egyptian field.