Which statement is true regarding epistaxis patterns in horses?

• A. Unilateral Bleeding Is Associated With Trauma, Sinus Disease, and Ethmoid Hematoma
• B. Bilateral Bleeding Is Exclusively Associated With Trauma
• C. Epistaxis Is Always Unilateral
• D. CT Is Not Useful

Answer: (A)

Understanding where the bleeding comes from helps point to the likely cause. In horses, a unilateral nosebleed usually means the problem is local to one side of the nasal passages or sinuses, rather than a system-wide issue. Local injuries or diseases such as trauma damaging the nasal mucosa, sinus disease affecting one side, or an ethmoid hematoma in the ethmoid region tend to produce bleeding on just one side.

So the true statement is that unilateral bleeding is associated with trauma, sinus disease, and ethmoid hematoma. This reflects how localized pathology tends to bleed through the nostril on the same side, guiding the clinician toward imaging and examination of that side for diagnosis.

The other ideas aren’t correct because bilateral bleeding can occur with multiple problems and isn’t exclusive to trauma, epistaxis isn’t always unilateral, and CT is a useful tool to assess local nasal/sinus pathologies like ethmoid hematoma and sinus disease rather than being unnecessary.