Subtotal colectomy and ileocolonic anastomosis in a Vietnamese pot-bellied pig with idiopathic megacolon.

A 7-month-old sexually intact female Vietnamese pot-bellied pig was evaluated because of constipation. On abdominal palpation, a hard tubular structure was palpated in the middle of the abdomen. Abdominal radiography revealed loops of intestine that were markedly distended with ingesta, consistent with obstructive intestinal disease. On exploratory celiotomy, a massively distended cecum and spiral colon were found. A subtotal colectomy, with a side-to-side ileocolonic anastomosis, was performed. The cause of the megacolon was not discovered. The pig did well following surgery and eventually defecated normally following an initial period of diarrhea. To our knowledge, this is the first report of therapeutic removal of a substantial portion of the large intestine in swine. Our decisions concerning the pig of this report were based largely on our knowledge of megacolon in cats. The outcome for this pig indicates that subtotal colectomy along with removal of the cecum and ileocecal valve can be used to successfully treat idiopathic megacolon in Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs.

Permanent urinary diversion in two Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs by extrapelvic urethral or urethropreputial anastomosis.

Permanent urinary diversion was performed in a Vietnamese pot-bellied pig to bypass apparent urethral obstruction at the level of the urethral recess and in a second pig to correct bleeding from perineal urethrostomy. In the first pig, extrapelvic anastomosis of the penile portion of the urethra to the pelvic portion of the urethra was performed. In the second pig, the penis was amputated and the pelvic portion of the urethra was anastomosed to the preputial epithelium, creating a urethropreputial conduit. Postoperatively, positive-contrast radiography demonstrated continuity of the anastomoses, and both pigs were able to urinate normally. The pig with the urethropreputial anastomosis developed hematuria and nocturia that were controlled by continuous administration of antibiotics and resolved following cleansing of the preputial diverticulum 1 year after surgery. Extrapelvic urinary diversion should be considered for permanent resolution of urethral obstruction in Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs; urethral anastomosis is preferable to urethropreputial anastomosis, because of the greater risk of ascending urinary tract infection associated with urethropreputial anastomosis.

The findings--diagnosis continuum: implications for image descriptions and clinical databases.

As part of the Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) project, we have been exploring the use of semantic net representation to build a medical ontology that can adapt to the needs and perspective of differing kinds of users with varying purposes. A principal objective is to facilitate indexing and retrieval of objects in a variety of target databases, using their own source vocabularies, while maintaining the representation of concepts to which these source vocabularies refer in a single consistent form, so that retrievals that span resource types can be accommodated. In addition, a particular area of deficiency of the existing UMLS Metathesaurus is that of clinical findings, a part of the problem being the multiple alternative views and granularity levels at which clinical findings are described in different target databases. The problem is particularly obvious when one examines the way in which image findings are described, which may be at a purely perceptual level, or at varying levels of aggregation into higher level observations or interpretations. We have developed a recursive model for representing observations and interpretations in a semantic net along a continuum of degree of aggregation, that appears to lend itself well to adaptation to varying perspectives.

Enhancing the Metathesaurus with clinically relevant concepts: anatomic representations.

To create a comprehensive taxonomy for medical concepts it is necessary to identify gaps and reconcile differences that exist between clinical, bibliographic, and other source vocabularies. As part of the Unified Medical Language System project, we have proposed enhancements to the Metathesaurus by the inclusion of terms from two source vocabularies with different unique perspectives or views. This process has disclosed a number of issues that arise as complexity increases. These issues must be resolved if the resultant Metathesaurus is to support the variety of uses for which it is intended.

Anatomy of the orbital fasciae and the third eyelid in dogs.

The connective tissue structures commonly referred to as the periorbita, orbital septum, muscular fasciae, and vagina bulbi or collectively, as the orbital fasciae were dissected then illustrated and described. Two sheets (layers) of the periorbita (endorbita) were found in our dogs. The periorbita should be renamed endorbita because of its anatomic relations. The periorbita did not always fuse with the periosteum of frontal and sphenoid bones. Rather, the periorbita and the periosteum were often distinct and separate; only medioventrally did several fibrous bands unite the superficial sheet of the endorbita with the periosteum. Two layers of the endorbita fused with the periosteum of the margin of the bony orbit and with the orbital ligament. The muscular fasciae were divided into 3 layers. The superficial layer extended caudally from the orbital septum, was thick, and was pierced by arteries, veins, and nerves. The middle layer was attached to the sclerocorneal junction and, at the temporal canthus of the eye, was divided into superficial and deep sheets. The deep portion was attached to the lateral angle of the third eyelid, similar to a strong ligament. The deep layer of the muscular fasciae extended caudally from the sclerocorneal junction in intimate contact with recti and oblique muscles of the eyeball. The deep portion of the deep muscular fascia covered the deep surface of all recti muscles and separated them from the retractor bulbi muscle. Intermuscular septa were observed between middle and deep muscular fascia layers.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Histochemical study of normal and collapsed tracheas in dogs.

Tracheas from 15 toy breed dogs with normal tracheas and 6 dogs with collapsed tracheas were examined histologically and histochemically. Tracheal cartilage was analyzed for chondroitin sulfate by means of alcian blue (CEC method) and for calcium with alizarin red S. Cartilage arcs from dogs with collapsed tracheas had areas that were apparently hypocellular, and some had other areas that appeared like fibrocartilage or fibrous tissue. Histochemically, collapsed tracheal cartilage had less chondroitin sulfate and calcium than did normal tracheal cartilage. Cartilage arcs from the collapsed tracheas were not uniformly affected to the same degree, and parts of a given tracheal arc appeared normal, whereas other parts had an abnormal histologic appearance.

Accessory parotid lymph nodes and hemal nodes in the temporal fossa in three oxen.

No description of accessory parotid lymph nodes in the ox was found in the 25 references consulted. Accessory parotid lymph nodes in two fresh ox heads were found. One of the lymph nodes was located in the temporal fossa on the cornual A., between the artery and the zygomatico- temporal N. and the other one on the route of the lacrimal br. (A) and external ophthalmic V., ventral to the zygomatico-temporal N. The lymph nodes were atypical. The supportive tissue was primarily smooth muscle, no subcapsular or cortical sinuses were seen; no medullary region was evident and the lymphatic tissue was diffuse with no evidence of nodule formation. Two hemal nodes were found in the second and a third fresh ox head obtained from the same source. Both were located on the route of the lacrimal br. of the cornual A. The largest hemal node was normal histologically, with blood-filled sinuses and prominent, active lymphatic nodules. The small hemal node was somewhat atypical in that no trabeculae penetrated the parenchyma and the cortical lymphatic tissue was diffuse with no nodule formation.

Distribution and implications of beta-endorphin and ACTH-immunoreactive cells in the intermediate lobe of the hypophysis in healthy equids.

The distribution of cells that stain positive for beta-endorphin and ACTH immunoreactivity was studied in the pars intermedia (PI) of the hypophysis in 3 healthy horses and 2 healthy ponies. Serial sections treated with commercial antibodies generated against beta-endorphin or ACTH were processed for immunocytochemical studies, using the avidin biotin immunoperoxidase-complex method. Distribution patterns of cells reacting with antibodies were similar in cells from all equids. Cells immunostained for ACTH were numerous and widely distributed in the PI. Cells immunopositive for ACTH probably contain corticotrophin-like intermediate lobe peptide that cross-reacts with antisera to ACTH. Cells immunopositive for beta-endorphin were fewer in number and had a more limited distribution in the PI. Most beta-endorphin-positive cells were located along the border of the PI adjacent to the lobus nervosus and had abundant eosinophilic cytoplasm when stained with hematoxylin and eosin. Cells with prominent eosinophilic cytoplasm were not common in other areas of the PI. When serial sections were examined, cells that stained positive for beta-endorphin immunoreactivity also appeared positive for ACTH.

Normal and collapsed trachea in the dog: scanning electron microscopy study.

Scanning electron microscopy was used to examine canine tracheal cartilage and to determine the relationship between the fibrous and amorphous matrix in this tissue. Collapsed tracheal (CT) cartilage was hypocellular, compared with normal tracheal cartilage. The amorphous matrix of CT cartilage had a porous, fissured texture and did not have the homogeneous appearance of normal tracheal cartilage. Capillaries were seen to pass through CT cartilage. Randomly distributed connective tissue fibers, evident in CT cartilage matrix, were frequently attached to irregular shapes and sizes of amorphous matrix.

Deciduous tooth chronology in the mandible of the domestic pig.

Fetuses of known age, collected from 20 days' gestation to term, were used to characterize the chronology of deciduous tooth development within the right mandible of swine. Tooth development was first observed at 32 days' embryonic development, with the differentiation of the deciduous third molar. Bud stages for the remaining deciduous teeth differentiated within the period of 32 to 38 days of embryonic development. Although the initial histological appearance of these teeth covered a short period of time, it was apparent that each tooth continued to develop at its own rate. The deciduous second incisor and first molar reached a stage of enamel formation by the 80th and 86th day of fetal development. This is a much later stage than previously recorded for beginning enamel formation. The stages of tooth development and enamel formation for each tooth are summarized. A previous report on the distribution of the dental lamina and deciduous tooth development in the mandible of the domestic pig combined with the information presented in this report on tooth chronology provide much of the information required for future studies using the domestic pig in dental research. A fetus observed at the 74th day of development demonstrated a tooth bud for the deciduous first premolar. The development of this tooth was followed closely throughout the remainder of fetal development with the cap stage representing its most definitive form at 110 days' development. The suggested deciduous origin for this tooth could result in a reevaluation of the nomenclature for the dental formula of swine.

Distribution of the dental lamina and deciduous tooth development in the mandible of the domestic pig.

Specimens of known age, weight, and crown-rump length were used to characterize the distribution of the dental lamina and deciduous tooth development in the mandible of the domestic pig.