July 2010

07
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Bovine, 6 years.

Diagnosis: Abomasum: Multifocal to coalescing, subacute to chronic, ulcerative abomasitis.

Description: Multifocally to coalescent, the abomasal mucosa is lost and the remaining submucosal tissue is necrotic and covered by small amounts of fibrin. Infrequently, ulcerations have punctuate black discolorations consistent with hemorrhages. In most areas the surrounding intact mucosa shows signs of regeneration with raised borders around the ulcers.

Comments: Clinically, the animal had an abortion of twin calves three days before necropsy. Furthermore, the animal was in bad general condition, anaemic and had a metabolic acidosis. At necropsy, a rupture of the Musculus glutalis medialis and a severe, diffuse hepatic lipidosis were identified in addition to the subacute to chronic ulcerative abomasistis.

Histology confirmed the diagnosis of subacute to chronic ulcerative abomasitis with severe multifocal necrosis of the mucosa, infiltration with neutrophilic granulocytes at the borders of necrotic areas and multifocal immature, granulation tissue in the abomasal wall adjacent to the lesions.

Picture by: Robert Klopfleisch, Department of Veterinary Pathology, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany

Author: Robert Klopfleisch, Department of Veterinary Pathology, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany