Ultrasound Examination of Unilateral Seminoma in a Salernitano Stallion.

An 18-year-old Salernitano stallion developed a progressive enlargement of the left testicle over eight months. An ultrasound evaluation was performed, along with a hormonal profile. A histopathological evaluation of the testis was performed after unilateral orchiectomy. On B-mode ultrasound examination, testicular parenchyma was characterized by the loss of internal structure, with the presence of multiple coalescing, nodular, well-defined and heterogeneous lesions with capsule deformity, appearing with an irregular profile. On dissection, the testicular parenchyma bulged over the cut section, confirming the increase in size. Microscopically, the lesion consisted mainly of large, densely packed, polygonal-to-round-shaped neoplastic cells. Mitotic figures were plentiful and frequently atypical; further microscopic features included apoptosis and necrosis. At immunohistochemistry, the entire neoplasm showed strong and diffuse immunolabeling for vimentin, while CD117-specific immunoreactivity was only observed in scattered clusters of neoplastic cells. Based on the gross, microscopic and IHC findings, a diagnosis of diffuse seminoma was made. Three months later, a follow-up examination showed no evidence of recurrence and the preservation of reproductive abilities. The case presented shows an unusual ultrasonographic pattern for seminoma and the basis of the correlation between the characteristics of the sonoelastographic examination and histological diagnosis.

The Clinical Effect of Xylazine Premedication in Water Buffalo Calves (Bubalus bubalis) Undergoing Castration under General Anaesthesia.

Castration is one of the most frequently performed surgical procedures in livestock. All methods of castration are associated with a significant degree of pain, affecting the patients' welfare. Limited information on species-specific protocols in buffaloes is available. Considering the importance of this species and the scarcity of reports available, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of two different intramuscular doses of xylazine for premedication in water buffalo calves undergoing isoflurane maintenance anaesthesia for routine castration surgery. Twenty clinically healthy male water buffaloes undergoing bilateral orchiectomy were randomly assigned to two groups of 10 animals each: Group 1 was premedicated with xylazine 0.1 mg/kg bw i.m. and Group 2 was premedicated with xylazine 0.15 mg/kg bw i.m. Anaesthesia was induced by ketamine (2 mg/kg bw i.v.) and maintained with isoflurane-oxygen-air in both groups. The HR, RR, presence/absence of ataxia, sedation, depth of anaesthesia, muscle relaxation status, response to acoustic and tactile stimuli, eyelid reflex, extent of salivation and stimulus were evaluated every 5 min. Both protocols provided consistent sedation and were safe. Faster and more satisfactory sedation was recorded when xylazine was administered at 0.15 mg/kg bw i.m., leading us to recommend this dose for buffalo orchiectomy.