Partial hepatectomy for treatment of multiple liver abscess in a calf: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Umbilical vein bacterial infections may cause liver abscesses during bacterial ascent. A single liver abscess can be surgically treated by marsupialization, but a risk of recurrence or non-healing remains. Moreover, there is no effective treatment for multiple abscesses. CASE PRESENTATION: A 17-day-old Holstein female calf exhibited reduced general condition, swelling and drainage of the umbilicus, and pressure sores in the area of the carpus, resulting in reluctance to stand up. The umbilicus showed pain at palpation; deep abdominal palpation indicated a swollen umbilical vein coursing from the umbilicus toward the liver. Ultrasonography confirmed a swollen umbilical vein with pus accumulation and multiple abscesses in the liver. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) examination confirmed that the swollen umbilical vein with fluid continued to the liver, and multiple unenhanced lesions, most likely abscesses, were confirmed in the liver. Partial hepatectomy was performed to remove as many abscesses as possible. For the resection, a vessel sealing device (LigaSureTM) was used to excise a part of the left liver lobe. As we could not remove all the abscesses in the liver during the operation, cefazolin sodium (5 mg/kg) was administered for 14 days after surgery. Post-operatively, blood accumulation was observed in the abdominal cavity, but no signs of peritonitis were found. The calf returned to the farm on day 38 after surgery. Follow-up information was obtained after 1 year, and complications were not reported. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this is the first report of partial hepatectomy using a vessel sealing device for a calf with multiple liver abscesses. This case report suggests that the combination of partial hepatectomy and long-term administration of antibacterial drugs may restore the health of calves with multiple liver abscesses.

Arthroscopic approaches to and anatomy of the shoulder joint of cattle: a cadaver study.

BACKGROUND: Arthroscopic surgery is described as a minimally invasive technique for diagnosis, exploration and treatment of joint disorders. It allows intraarticular structures to be assessed accurately, thereby improving the diagnostic capabilities, and it broadens the spectrum of surgical techniques feasible for treatment of articular pathologies in cattle. This study aimed to assess for cattle the described arthroscopic approaches to the shoulder joint of horses, and to describe the appearance of the corresponding intraarticular structures of the shoulder joint. Additionally, to perform histological examination where tissues were identified and assessed arthroscopically, but the tissue type was uncertain using cadaveric limbs from cattle of different age categories without any signs of orthopedic diseases of the front limbs. RESULTS: An anatomic and arthroscopic investigation with 34-cadaveric forelimbs from 20-cattle was performed. The arthroscope was inserted either immediately cranial or 1-cm caudal to the tendon of the infraspinatus muscle for the cranial and caudal approaches, respectively. The shoulder joints were examined with the limbs in either horizontal non-pulled position, abducted non-pulled position using a three-pod limb holder adjustable in height, or horizontal manually pulled position. Arthroscopy was performed using a rigid 30°arthroscope (18-cm length, 4-mm outer diameter) to view the synovial pouches with their synovial villi and the following structures: cranial rim of the glenoid, cranial portion of the humeral head, incisura-glenoidalis, caudal rim of the glenoid, caudal portion of the humeral head, and cranial and caudal cul-de-sac. Abduction of the limb allowed improved visualization of the lateral portion of the joint. Pulling the limb facilitated investigation of the medial portion of the joint. Generally, the distention range was higher in younger as compared to adult cattle, and visualization of the medial portion of the joint was, therefore, facilitated in younger animals. The main complications observed were subcutaneous fluid extravasations and partial-thickness articular cartilages wear-lines. CONCLUSION: The described arthroscopic techniques allowed good overall visualization of the most relevant anatomical structures within the healthy cadaveric joint. Further investigations are warranted to evaluate the diagnostic and therapeutic applications of these techniques and the prognosis of arthroscopic surgery as a tool for the treatment of joint lesions.

Artificial lactation by exogenous hormone treatment in non-pregnant sows.

This study aimed to determine if lactation can be induced by exogenous hormonal treatment in non-pregnant sows. In experiment 1, pseudopregnant animals were divided into four groups and given: 1) 5 mg of estradiol dipropionate (EDP) 5 days before (n = 4), 2) 5 mg of EDP 10 days before (n = 3), 3) 10 mg of EDP 5 days before (n = 3) or 4) 10 mg of EDP 10 days (n = 3) before PGF2α treatment. Artificial lactation was induced in seven pseudopregnant sows (53.8%) by exogenous hormonal treatment. There was no significant effect of either an increased EDP dosage or interval from the EDP treatment to PGF2α treatment on the induction rate of artificial lactation. In experiment 2, milk samples were collected from artificial lactating and natural lactating sows (n = 6). IgG and IgA levels in the milk collected from both groups were significantly associated with time during the experimental period. Milk IgG levels 24 h after PGF2α treatment in artificial lactating sows were higher than those in the colostrum of lactating sows. In experiment 3, hormonal profiles in pseudopregnant sows with (n = 3) or without (n = 3) EDP treatment were determined. There was a significant difference in estradiol-17ß levels on days 8, 7 and 5 before PGF2α treatment between groups. Progesterone and prolactin concentrations did not differ between groups. The present study revealed for the first time that lactation could be induced by exogenous hormonal treatment in non-pregnant sows and that the milk collected from these sows contained high immunoglobulin levels.

Visualizing bovine leukemia virus (BLV)-infected cells and measuring BLV proviral loads in the milk of BLV seropositive dams.

Bovine leukemia virus (BLV) infects cattle and causes serious problems for the cattle industry, worldwide. Vertical transmission of BLV occurs via in utero infection and ingestion of infected milk and colostrum. The aim of this study was to clarify whether milk is a risk factor in BLV transmission by quantifying proviral loads in milk and visualizing the infectivity of milk. We collected blood and milk from 48 dams (46 BLV seropositive dams and 2 seronegative dams) from seven farms in Japan and detected the BLV provirus in 43 blood samples (89.6%) but only 22 milk samples (45.8%) using BLV-CoCoMo-qPCR-2. Although the proviral loads in the milk tended to be lower, a positive correlation was firstly found between the proviral loads with blood and milk. Furthermore, the infectivity of milk cells with BLV was visualized ex vivo using a luminescence syncytium induction assay (LuSIA) based on CC81-GREMG cells, which form syncytia expressing enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) in response to BLV Tax and Env expressions when co-cultured with BLV-infected cells. Interestingly, in addition to one BLV-infected dam with lymphoma, syncytia with EGFP fluorescence were observed in milk cells from six BLV-infected, but healthy, dams by an improved LuSIA, which was optimized for milk cells. This is the first report demonstrating the infectious capacity of cells in milk from BLV-infected dams by visualization of BLV infection ex vivo. Thus, our results suggest that milk is a potential risk factor for BLV vertical spread through cell to cell transmission.

Development of a luminescence syncytium induction assay (LuSIA) for easily detecting and quantitatively measuring bovine leukemia virus infection.

Bovine leukemia virus (BLV) causes enzootic bovine leukosis and is closely related to the human T cell leukemia virus. Since BLV infection mostly occurs via cell-to-cell transmission, BLV infectivity is generally measured by culturing BLV-infected cells with reporter cells that form syncytia upon BLV infection. However, this method is time-consuming and requires skill. To visualize the infectivity of BLV, we developed a new assay called the luminescence syncytium induction assay (LuSIA) that is based on a new reporter cell line designated CC81-BLU3G. CC81-BLU3G is stably transfected with pBLU3-EGFP, which contains the BLV long terminal repeat U3 region linked to the enhanced-green fluorescence protein (EGFP) gene. CC81-BLU3G expresses the EGFP in response to BLV Tax expression specifically, and forms fluorescing syncytia when transfected with an infectious BLV plasmid or when cultured with BLV-infected cells. Compared to the conventional assay, LuSIA was more specific and detected cattle samples with low proviral loads. The fluorescing syncytia was easily detected by eye and automated scanning and LuSIA counts correlated strongly with the proviral load of infected cattle (R2 = 0.8942).

Inefficient viral replication of bovine leukemia virus induced by spontaneous deletion mutation in the G4 gene.

Enzootic bovine leucosis is caused by bovine leukemia virus (BLV) infection, which is highly prevalent in several regions of the world and significantly impacts the livestock industry. In BLV infection, the proviral load in the blood reflects disease progression. Although the BLV genome is highly conserved among retroviruses, genetic variation has been reported. However, the relationship between proviral load and genetic variation is poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the changes in proviral load in BLV-infected cattle in Japan and then identified and analysed a BLV strain pvAF967 that had a static proviral load. First, examining the proviral load in the aleukaemic cattle in 2014 and 2015, cow AF967 showed a static proviral load, while the other cows showed significant increases in proviral load. Sequencing the provirus in cow AF967 showed a deletion of 12 nt located in the G4 gene. An in vitro assay system using BLV molecular clone was set up to evaluate viral replication and production. In this in vitro assay, the deletion mutation in the G4 gene resulted in a significant decrease in viral replication and production. In addition, we showed that the deletion mutation did not affect the viral transcriptional activity of Tax protein, which is also important for virus replication. The emergence of strain pvAF967 that showed a static proviral load, combined with other retrovirus evolutionary traits, suggests that some BLV strains may have evolved to be symbiotic with cattle.

Suspected panosteitis in a crossbred calf.

A male crossbred calf developed a limp and pain upon deep pressure on the right hind limb and the right forelimb. The radiographic findings of affected limbs and pathological findings of bone biopsy were similar to those observed in canine panosteitis. This is the first case of suspected panosteitis reported in cattle.

Panostéite suspectée chez un veau de race croisée. Un veau mâle de race croisée a développé une boiterie et de la douleur à l'application d'une pression profonde sur la jambe arrière droite et la jambe avant droite. Les résultats de la radiographie des membres touchés et les résultats pathologiques d'une biopsie osseuse étaient semblables à ceux observés dans la panostéite canine. Il s'agit du premier cas de panostéite suspectée chez le bétail.(Traduit par Isabelle Vallières).

A case of urachal abscess resection via colpotomy in a cow.

This study describes a novel surgical method to remove urinary bladder-related urachal abscesses in a cow. Traditional methods, such as the midline or paramedian approach in calves and the preinguinal approach, can be challenging in adult cattle, especially for lesions situated near the pelvic cavity. In this case, a 4-year-old cow had a urachal abscess attached to the bladder apex, making it difficult to approach via abdominal wall incision. Colpotomy and pulling the abscess through a vaginal wall incision allowed for complete exteriorization of the lesion and comfortable accessibility of the abscess and the resection site. This report suggests that colpotomy is an effective new route in adult cattle for accessing urachal abscesses not accessible via traditional surgical approaches.

Investigation of preinguinal approach for removal of urachal abscess in three Japanese black cattle older than 18 months of age.

This study investigated the diagnostic and surgical management of urachal abscessation involving the urinary bladder in three cattle aged >18 months. While the abdominal floor or paralumbar fossa are typically considered for accessing the urachus and bladder in calves and heifers, the distance is too great to perform the procedure under direct vision in adult cows. Therefore, a novel preinguinal approach was used for access in cows with urachal abscesses after 18 months. Access was successfully achieved in all the three cows through a preinguinal incision to the urachal abscess at the apex of the bladder. However, in cases wherein the abscess and adhesions are severe, removal may be challenging or may necessitate a combined median or paramedian approach.

A case of hydronephrosis due to intrarenal ureteral obstruction in a Japanese Black calf.

A 23-day-old Japanese Black female calf presented with distension of the lower abdomen. Abdominal ultrasonography revealed a cystic structure with fluid accumulation and moderate echoluminance in the right abdominal cavity. Ultrasonography and contrast-enhanced computed tomography revealed congenital hydronephrosis due to narrowing of the intrarenal ureter, and right kidney resection was performed. Blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine levels, which were within reference values preoperatively, peaked on the third postoperative day and gradually decreased afterward until reaching preoperative values on the tenth day. In bovine hydronephrosis, nephrectomy may provide a favorable prognosis if one kidney is intact. Moreover, this case suggests that blood tests immediately after surgery are not suitable for evaluating residual kidneys.

Genetic characteristics of CTX-M-type extended-spectrum-ß-lactamase (ESBL)-producing enterobacteriaceae involved in mastitis cases on Japanese dairy farms, 2007 to 2011.

Sixty-five CTX-M-2/15/14 extended-spectrum-ß-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae were isolated from 258,888 mastitic milk samples from Japanese dairy farms between 2007 and 2011. CTX-M-2-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae and CTX-M-15-producing Escherichia coli were the predominant strains isolated. There was no predominant clonal type, and clonal diversity was found even in strains isolated from a single farm.

Case report: Abdominal hernia repair using a surgical wire and an autologous omental graft in a Japanese Black calf.

Background: Hernia formation is a well-known abdominal wall disorder in calves and most often occurs in the umbilical region. In addition, it occurs in the abdominal wall outside the umbilical region. It has been reported to involve acquired factors, such as external force to the lower or lateral abdominal wall, trauma, muscle weakness, and, although rare, congenital or hereditary factors. Although there have been reports on the repair of abdominal wall hernias caused by abnormal muscle formation, there have been no reports on the treatment of abdominal wall hernias caused by abnormal vertebral and rib formation in cattle or other ruminants. In this study, for the first time, we describe a case of successful closure of a hernia in the left flank caused by malformation of the vertebrae and ribs. The repair was performed by narrowing the ribs using a surgical wire and covering the defect with a free omental graft. Case presentation: A male Japanese Black calf showed a mild bulge of the left abdominal wall and abnormal morphology of the left ribs immediately after birth. At 3 months of age, computed tomography revealed fusion of the 9th, 10th, and 11th thoracic vertebrae and missing formation of the 10th and 11th left ribs at the thoracic vertebral fusion site. Additionally, a 15.2 × 24.4 cm abdominal hernia had formed in the abdominal wall. During surgery, the ribs forming the hernia were narrowed with a surgical wire, and the hernia was covered with a large autologous free omental graft to prevent intra-abdominal organ prolapse. At the monthly follow-up (11 months after surgery), the calf had developed similarly to other calves of the same age on the farm, and no complications were noted. Conclusions: The current case shows that a combination of rib correction using a surgical wire combined with transplantation of a free autologous greater omentum graft was shown to be a possible treatment option for surgical repair of large abdominal wall hernias caused by rib malformation.

Repair of a calcaneal fracture with a combination of internal and external fixation in a calf.

A 6-day-old male Japanese Black calf presented with a transverse fracture of the left calcaneus. In calcaneal fractures, traction of the gastrocnemius muscle causes substantial displacement of the proximal fracture fragment; therefore, external fixation alone is prone to failure of fusion or deformed fusion. Furthermore, internal fixation alone may result in refracture due to the high load on the implant. Therefore, internal and external fixation were used to treat the fracture. Bone fusion was observed on postoperative day 50; the wire was removed on postoperative day 90. Radiographic examination at 4 months postoperatively revealed that the bone had fused in normal alignment. Therefore, a good prognosis can be expected for calcaneal fractures treated with combined internal and external fixation.

Successful Treatment of Central Nervous System Lymphoma with Combination Therapy of Nimustine and Prednisolone in Two Dogs.

Of intracranial tumors, primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) is rare in dogs. Herein, we describe our experience with two dogs (a 3-year-old intact female toy poodle and a 5-year-old spayed female toy poodle) that developed neurological symptoms. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed intracranial disseminated lesions. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) examination revealed pleocytosis and B-cell monoclonal proliferation in both cases. PCNSL or secondary central nervous system lymphoma (SCNSL) was diagnosed on the basis of MRI findings and CSF examinations. Nimustine (ACNU) is a nitrosourea alkylating agent, a class of drugs that includes lomustine. Nimustine is mainly used to treat human intracranial neoplasia because of its high permeability across the blood-brain barrier. The dogs in this study were treated with combined chemotherapy comprising nimustine and prednisolone, which achieved complete or nearly complete remission of neurological symptoms and long-term survival (>2583 days and 1218 days), but with problematic adverse effects. We determined that the dose of nimustine for canine PCNSL or SCNSL with intravenous infusion was 25-30 mg/m2 every 3-4 weeks for a total of four times; however, the data were insufficient to determine the optimal regimen.

Surgical management of a dermoid cyst with mandibular gland tissue in a Japanese Black calf.

A 131-day-old male Japanese Black calf presented with a swollen right cheek from birth. Imaging examination revealed a cyst under the right buccal area and debris-containing fluid inside the cyst, and puncture aspiration revealed a mildly cloudy fluid containing hair and tissue fragments. Histological examination of the excised cyst revealed stratified squamous epithelium with skin appendages in the cyst wall, which was diagnosed as a dermoid cyst. In addition, some submandibular gland tissue was found within the cyst wall. After removal of the cyst, there was swelling in the same area, which resolved with steroid administration. Surgical treatment of buccal dermoid cysts should be performed with caution to avoid damage to adjacent salivary gland tissue.

The origin of progesterone in blood when a bacterial solution is infused into the uterus of rats.

PURPOSE: The infusion of a bacterial solution into the uterus of rats raises the progesterone (P4) concentration in serum and extends diestrus. To understand the origin of the P4, we investigated the change in the P4 concentration of seven groups of rats for 5 days after the infusion of a bacterial solution. METHODS: The rats were divided into 7 treatment groups as follows: OvxBac, AdxBac, Ovx, Adx, LapBac, Lap, and Cont. In OvxBac, rats received both ovariectomy and bacterial inoculation into their uterus. In AdxBac, rats received both adrenalectomy and bacterial inoculation into their uterus. In Ovx, rats received only ovariectomy. In Adx, rats received only adrenalectomy. In LapBac, rats received only bacterial inoculation into their uterus. In Lap, rats received only laparotomy. In Cont, rats did not receive any treatment and acted as controls. RESULTS: The P4 concentration in all treatment groups was higher than in Cont on day 1 (the day following operation) and day 2. In Lap and LapBac, the P4 concentration was high on day 1 (>30 ng/mL) and maintained that value until day 2. In Adx and AdxBac, the P4 concentration was average on day 1 (approximately 25 ng/mL) and increased on day 2 to a value close to that of LapBac and Lap. In OvxBac, although the P4 concentration increased slightly on day 1 and day 2, it reached 22.5 ± 7.5 ng/mL on day 4. In AdxBac and LapBac, the P4 concentration on day 4 tended to be high. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that P4 is initially secreted from the ovaries and the adrenals in response to the surgical stress of laparotomy, and is later secreted from the adrenals due to the inflammatory reaction of the uterus.

Surgical Treatment of a Retropharyngeal Abscess in a Japanese Black Cow.

A 17-month-old Japanese Black cow presented with inappetence, wheezing, dysphagia, and drooling. Radiography and ultrasonography revealed an oval, dorsal, pharyngeal mass, with an internal horizontal line demarcating the radiolucent area from the radio-opaque area. Upper airway endoscopy revealed pus-like deposits in the dorsal nasal passage, hyperemia, and edema in the dorsal pharynx, leading to swelling and airway obstruction. Manual palpation, after sedation, revealed a thickened mass surface, which was difficult to rupture with manual pressure. After inserting a linear sonographic probe through the mouth to establish the vascularity surrounding the mass and to identify a relatively thin-walled area, a trocar was pierced into the mass under endoscopic guidance, and the opening was enlarged manually. The mass was filled with stale pus-like material, which was removed manually. The abscess cavity was washed using saline and povidone-iodine. Day 1 post-surgery, dysphagia and wheezing disappeared. Day 16 post-surgery, endoscopy showed significant improvement in the airway patency. One year postoperatively, the owner reported that the cow had an uneventful recovery. For deep abscesses, such as bovine pharyngeal abscesses, it is important to perform a preoperative transoral Doppler ultrasonography to assess the vascularity and thickness of the abscess wall for safe trocar insertion and abscess drainage.

Congenital malformations of the external and middle ear accompanied by temporal bone anomaly in a calf.

A 7-month-old female Holstein calf presented with bilateral microtia and absent external acoustic meatus. The real-time polymerase chain reaction test was negative for bovine viral diarrhea virus and bovine leukemia virus. The calf's dam had a normal reproductive history. Computed tomography confirmed bilateral atresia of external auditory canals, aplasia of tympanic cavities and the ossicular chain, and temporomandibular joint abnormality. Necropsy revealed a severe malformation of the temporal bone. In the tympanic region, the external acoustic pore, tympanic bulla, and muscular process were absent bilaterally. The bilateral inner ear structure was normal. Based on these findings, we diagnosed the present case as congenital malformations of the external and middle ear accompanied by temporal bone anomaly.

Intra-abdominal mass containing controlled internal drug release (CIDR) devices detected by CT in a Japanese Black cow.

This report describes an intra-abdominal mass caused by progesterone-containing controlled internal drug release (CIDR) devices in the abdominal cavity of a 28-month-old Japanese Black heifer presenting with infertility. Rectal examination revealed a mass containing a cartilage-like object in the pelvic cavity. Computed tomography revealed a mass containing two T-shaped foreign bodies. Laparotomy was performed to remove the mass containing the foreign bodies. The heifer was healthy at discharge seven days post-surgery. This case adds CIDR device as a new etiology for intra-abdominal masses. Furthermore, it highlights the usefulness of CT in diagnosing deep abdominal lesions.

Usefulness of computed tomography for cryptorchidism in bulls.

Cryptorchidism is defined as the failure of the testis to descend into the scrotal position. Bulls with cryptorchidism have problems in both meat quality and husbandry management; thus, it is greatly important to accurately identify the retained testis and remove it during the early stage. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) was performed under general anesthesia in 34 bulls aged 3-9 months with cryptorchidism. All bulls underwent laparoscopic or incision approach for cryptorchidectomy, and 40 testes were dissected. The detection rates of retained testes were 64.5% in the abdominal cavity and 100% in the subcutaneous inguinal region, and the total detection rate was 72.5%. Furthermore, all cases in this study were suspected to have intra-abdominal cryptorchidism in primary care, but CT revealed that 22.5% of cases had cryptorchidism in the subcutaneous inguinal region. The CT value (mean ± standard deviation) of the retained testes was 20.96 ± 7.54 Hounsfield Unit, and the CT value and size of the retained testes showed a positive weak correlation with bovine age. Therefore, there is the demerit that general anesthesia and a huge device are necessary; nevertheless, CT is suggested to be useful in identifying the location of retained testes and selecting an appropriate surgical approach in bulls with cryptorchidism. Moreover, CT findings suggested that the maturation of the retained testes might depend not on the descending process but on age.