Twenty-five years of selection for improved leg health in purebred broiler lines and underlying genetic parameters.

Leg health is an important component of broiler welfare and the economics of broiler production. This study presents the development of leg health in 3 purebred commercial broiler lines during 25 yr of selection and investigates the genetic background of leg health traits in current populations of these lines. The leg health traits were deformities of the long bones (LD) and crooked toes (CT), recorded since 1985, and tibial dyschondroplasia (TD) and hock burn (HB), recorded since 1990. The prevalence of CT and HB decreased mainly in the first decade (range among lines -1.2 to -2.3% and -1.3 to -1.5% per year, respectively), after which it stabilized at low levels. The prevalence of LD and TD decreased by -0.6 to -0.9% and -0.4 to -1.2% per year, respectively. Genetic parameters were estimated using data from 4 recent generations. The BW ranged from 2.0 to 2.4 kg at 5 wk of age; the prevalences of LD, CT, TD, and HB from 8.6 to 12.9%, 0.6 to 2.6%, 4.6 to 8.0%, and 4.0 to 12.2%, respectively. Estimates of heritability were 0.04 to 0.07 for LD, 0.01 to 0.10 for CT, 0.10 to 0.27 for TD, and 0.06 to 0.09 for HB (all SE ≤0.01). Estimates of the genetic correlations between LD and CT were 0.11 to 0.43 (all SE ≤0.09), between these traits and HB were negligible, and of TD with LD, CT, and HB were -0.26 to 0.16 (all SE ≤0.11). Estimates of genetic correlations between the leg health traits and BW were lowly to moderately unfavorable, ranging from 0.09 to 0.37 (all SE ≤0.06). The differences between the lines suggest that strategies for simultaneous improvement of all traits tailored for each line individually have been effective. This research demonstrates the long-term effectiveness of selection for improving leg health in broilers and highlights that, despite somewhat unfavorable genetic correlations with BW, these traits can be improved simultaneously in a balanced breeding program.

Vaginal epithelioid angiosarcoma.

A case of epithelioid angiosarcoma of the vagina is described. Only five cases of angiosarcoma at this site have been reported, three of which followed radiotherapy for other gynaecological malignancies. None is described as an epithelioid angiosarcoma, an unusual and recently described variant which is readily confused with carcinoma. This is thought to be the first reported epithelioid angiosarcoma at this site and highlights the difficulties in diagnosis.

The investigation and management of infertility in East Africa. A prospective study of 200 cases.

PIP: A prospective study of 200 patients complaining of infertility was conducted to determine the incidence of detectable lesions, in particular tubal occlusion, pelvic tuberculosis, and anovulation. These cases of primary and secondary infertility presented at the Gynecological Outpatient Department of the Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi. Tubal insufflation and endometrial biopsy were performed as outpatient procedures without general anesthesia. The 200 patients were divided into those with primary infertility who had never conceived, and those with secondary infertility who had conceived on at least 1 occasion. The Mantoux test was positive in 93 patients (46.5%) and negative in 107 (53.5%). The 4 cases of tuberculous endometritis diagnosed in the study had strongly positive results, but the Mantoux result bore no significant relationship to the incidence of tubal occlusion. Culture of the endometrium for M. tuberculosis in 200 cases yeilded 3 positive cultures (1.5%). These corresponded to the histological results and a definite diagnosis of tuberculosis endometritis was therefore established in 3 cases. In the 4th case, where the culture was negative, the histological evidence was very convincing, and it was considered justified to commence antituberculous therapy on this evidence alone. Tubal insufflation was performed in 3 out of these 4 cases and all showed blocked tubes. The menstrual cycles of 26 cases out of the 30 found to have proliferative phase endometrium were regular and unremarkable. The remaining 4 patients, where the histological pattern showed evidence of prolonged estrogen stimulation, had irregular menses suggestive of anovulatory menstruation. Of the 200 cases investigated, 98 patients (49%) had a demonstrable lesion preventing conception, 96 having blocked tubes, 1 having tuberculosis endometritis alone, and 1 having anovulation alone. 6 cases had 2 lesions preventing conception. No patients in the study became pregnant during the course of the investigation.^ieng