Animal: Cow, Holstein – Fresian, 9 years old
Gross finding: Yellow to orange, gelatinous, bone marrow
Morphologic diagnosis: Bone marrow: serous atrophy of fat, diffuse, severe, chronic
Comment: Serous atrophy of fat is a replacement of adipose tissue with gelatinous, yellow, clear material. It is common in domestic ruminants and other animals such as miniature pigs, reindeer and rabbits, associated with inadequate nutrition or inanition, during which the body systematically consumes fat reserves, beginning with the subcutaneous adipose tissue inward. The fat tissue of the bone marrow is the last to be consumed, indicating a chronic process, like in this case chronic severe gastrointestinal parasitism.
Contributor: Šimun Naletilić (post-mortem, photo and text)- Croatian Veterinary Institute;
resident of the Training Centre Veterinary Faculty, University of Zagreb
References:
1. Beeler-Marfisi J, Gallastegui Menoyo A, Beck A, König J, Hewson J, Bienzle D. Gelatinous marrow transformation and hematopoietic atrophy in a miniature horse stallion. Vet Pathol. 2011 Mar;48(2):451-5.
2. Davies JL, Warren AL. Diseases of the Hematopoietic and Hemolymphatic System. In: Buergelt Claus D., Clark Edward G., and Piero Fabio Del. Bovine Pathology: A Text and Color Atlas. Wallingford, UK: CABI, 2017:269