Clinical, laboratory, ultrasonographic, and anatomopathological aspects of 30 cases of traumatic reticulosplenitis in cattle / Aspectos clínicos, laboratoriais, ultrassonográficos e anatomopatológicos de 30 casos de reticulo-esplenite traumática em bovinos

Ingestion of metallic and/or sharp foreign bodies triggers cases of traumatic reticuloperitonitis and its sequelae in cattle. Among these sequelae, we can highlight traumatic reticulosplenitis, that has high mortality, although its frequency in the ruminant medicine is low. Therefore, based on the scarcity of information on this disease, the current study aimed to evaluate the clinical, laboratory, ultrasonographic, and pathological findings of 30 adult cattle diagnosed with traumatic reticulosplenitis. Clinical, ultrasound, and anatomopathological findings were analyzed using descriptive statistics and laboratory data were evaluated using measures of central tendency. Clinically the animals presented dehydration and alterations in behavior, appetite, and ruminal motility. Hematological findings revealed neutrophilic leukocytosis (37077.17±25004.59cell/µL) with regenerative left shift and hyperfibrinogenemia (1130±364.98mg/dL). The ultrasound examination enabled visualization of mobile and echogenic filaments that corresponded to the presence of fibrin adhesions. Displacement of the reticulum and irregularity in its contour, as well as alterations in the quantity, pattern, and amplitude of reticular contractions were also observed. Splenic alterations such as abscesses were found, characterized as circular structures of varying sizes delimited by capsules containing variable echogenicity. Splenic vein thrombosis and spleen folding were also observed. The results obtained in the current study indicated that traumatic reticulosplenitis causes nonspecific clinical signs, severe laboratory alterations and, mainly, that ultrasound is an efficient method for the diagnosis of this disease, since the anatomopathological lesions confirmed the ultrasound findings.(AU)

A ingestão de corpos estranho de origem metálica e/ou pontiagudos desencadeia em bovinos, quadros de Reticuloperitonite Traumática e suas sequelas. Dentre as quais podemos destacar a retículo esplenite traumática cuja letalidade é elevada, embora a mesma apresente uma baixa frequência na clínica de ruminantes. Portanto, baseado na escassez de informações sobre esta enfermidade, este trabalho teve por objetivo avaliar os achados clínicos, laboratoriais, ultrassonográficos e anatomopatológicos de 30 bovinos adultos diagnosticados com retículo esplenite traumática. Os achados clínicos, ultrassonográfico e anatomopatológico foram analisados por meio de estatística descritiva, e os dados laboratoriais foram avaliados utilizando-se as medidas de tendência central. Clinicamente os animais apresentaram desidratação e alterações no comportamento, apetite e na motilidade ruminal. Os achados hematológicos revelaram leucocitose (37077.17±25004.59cell/µL) por neutrofilia com desvio à esquerda regenerativo e hiperfibrinogenemia (1130±364.98mg/dL). O exame ultrassonográfico possibilitou a visualização de filamentos móveis e ecogênicos que corresponderam à presença de aderências fibrinosas, observou-se também, deslocamento do retículo e irregularidade no seu contorno além das alterações na quantidade, padrão e amplitude das contrações reticulares. Permitiu ainda, a constatação de alterações esplênicas como abscessos que foram caracterizados como estruturas circulares de variados tamanhos delimitada por capsula contendo no seu interior conteúdo de ecogenicidade variável. Trombose da veia esplênica e dobramento do baço. Os resultados obtidos nesse trabalho, indicaram que a retículo esplenite traumática causa sinais clínicos inespecíficos, severas alterações laboratoriais e principalmente que a ultrassonografia é um método eficiente para o diagnóstico dessa enfermidade uma vez que as lesões anatomopatológicas confirmaram os achados ultrassonográficos.(AU)

Diagnosis and treatment of foreign bodies swallowing syndrome in camels (Camelus dromedarius) with special reference to the role of mineral deficiency.

This study describes the clinical presentation of ruminal and reticular foreign body syndrome (RRFBS), and evaluates the effect of mineral deficiency on its occurrence in dromedary camels. Thirty dromedary camels were divided into two groups. Group 1 (control) included 10 apparently healthy she-camels. Group 2 consisted of twenty dromedary camels diagnosed with RRFBS on the basis of clinical, ultrasonographic, hematological, and biochemical examinations. Clinical findings showed decreased appetite and milk yield, tympany, and gradual body weight loss. Ultrasonographic examinations revealed the presence of hyperechoic material with variable degrees of shadowing. Hematological evaluation showed a significant (P<0.05) decrease of the total erythrocyte and lymphocyte count and a significant increase of neutrophils in the camels with RRFBS compared to the controls. Biochemical tests showed a significant elevation in the activity of serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), creatine kinase (CK), glucose, creatinine, and blood urea nitrogen and a significant decrease of sodium, chloride, potassium, cobalt, iron, and selenium in the camels with RRFBS compared to the controls. Rumenotomy was performed on the 20 camels as a surgical intervention for treating the RRFBS. By the 6th month postoperatively, all surgically treated camels had completely recovered except for one with tympany and slight swelling in situ. In conclusion, trace element deficiency might play an important role in the occurrence of foreign body ingestion syndrome in dromedary camels. Moreover, clinical, ultrasonographic, hematological, and biochemical examinations are considered as tools assisting in the accurate diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment stratagem for RRFBS in camels.

Clinical and laboratory findings in 503 cattle with traumatic reticuloperitonitis.

BACKGROUND: The study evaluated the results of clinical examination and haematological and serum biochemical analyses in 503 cattle with traumatic reticuloperitonitis (TRP). RESULTS: The most common clinical findings were abnormal demeanour and general condition (87%), decreased rumen motility (72%), poorly digested faeces (57%), decreased rumen fill (49%), fever (43%) and tachycardia (26%). In 58% of the cattle, at least one of three tests for reticular foreign bodies (pinching of the withers, pressure on the xiphoid and percussion of the abdominal wall) was positive, and in 42% all three tests were negative. The most common haematological findings were decreased haematocrit in 45% of cattle and leukocytosis in 42%. An increase in the concentration of fibrinogen in 69% of cattle and total protein in 64% were the main biochemical findings. The glutaraldehyde test time was decreased with coagulation occurring within 6 min in 75% of cattle. CONCLUSIONS: In many cases, a diagnosis of TRP is not possible based on individual clinical or laboratory findings because even the most common abnormalities are not seen in all cattle with TRP.

Investigations of foreign bodies in the fore-stomach of cattle at Ngoma Slaughterhouse, Rwanda.

Ingestion of indigestible foreign bodies in cattle is a pathological condition of both economic and health importance. It is has mostly been reported in association with feed scarcity. The aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence and nature of indigestible foreign materials in abattoir fore-stomach specimens in Ngoma district, Rwanda. Each chamber was opened by incision, then given a thorough macroscopic examination by visual inspection and palpation for the presence of foreign materials. The results show that there is an overall occurrence of 17.4% foreign bodies in cattle. The highest occurrence (25.3%) was recorded in June (the driest month). Results further show that the majority of the foreign bodies were plastics (65.0%). More foreign bodies (29.5%) were found in older animals (5 years and above) than in younger and middle-aged animals (16.5 % and 6.0%, respectively). There was a higher prevalence of foreign bodies in female cattle (20.0%) than in males (15.7%). The presence of cassette tape, as observed in the study, has not been reported elsewhere. The high representation of plastics in animals (65.5%) in the light of a government plastic bag ban in supermarkets presents a major challenge to livestock production in Rwanda. What is disturbing is that it is not known if this problem is increasing or decreasing as there are no previous studies for comparison. However, the results will serve as a reference point for future studies to understand the true trend and true burden of plastic bags in livestock.

A postmortem study on indigestible foreign bodies in the rumen and reticulum of ruminants, eastern Ethiopia.

A cross-sectional study was conducted on ruminants (cattle, sheep and goats) slaughtered at Haramaya University and Haramaya municipal abattoirs from November 2013 to April 2014 in Haramaya, eastern Ethiopia. The objective of the study was to identify types and estimate the prevalence of foreign bodies in the rumen and reticulum of domestic ruminants in the area. From 810 randomly selected study animals, 422 (52.1%) were found to have foreign bodies. Of the 332 cattle, 193 sheep and 285 goats examined, 144 (43.4%), 109 (56.5%) and 169 (59.3%) respectively were found with various types of foreign bodies. The prevalence of foreign bodies was significantly (χ² = 17.53, p < 0.05) higher in sheep (59.3%) and goats (56.7%) than in cattle (43.4%). Overall the prevalence of foreign bodies in study animals with poor body condition was significantly higher (χ² = 38.57, p < 0.05) than in those with medium and good body condition. A higher percentage of foreign bodies occurred in the rumen alone (87.9%) than in the reticulum alone (5.0%), with the rest present in both. Significantly higher proportions of foreign bodies were observed in the rumen of cattle (χ² = 332, p < 0.05), sheep (χ² = 193, p < 0.05) and goats (χ² = 285.0, p = 0.000) than in the reticulum. Plastic was the most commonly encountered (79.2%) foreign body, followed by cloth (15.3%) and rope (12.3%). In addition, metal (0.9%) and calcified material and/or stone (1.0%) were found in the reticulum of cattle. Lack of a plastic waste disposal system in the area as well as communal/free grazing of livestock in highly waste-polluted areas seemed to be major factors in the high occurrence of foreign bodies in ruminants. To change this, collaborative intervention schemes involving professionals, policy makers, livestock keepers and environmental activists are needed.

Thrombosis of the cranial vena cava in a cow with bronchopneumonia and traumatic reticuloperitonitis.

This paper reports the clinical findings, surgical and medical management, and necropsy of a 6-year-old cow with thrombosis of the cranial vena cava and thrombo-embolic pneumonia following traumatic reticuloperitonitis. The clinical diagnosis was confirmed by necropsy.

Use of cardiac troponin kits for the qualitative determination of myocardial cell damage due to traumatic reticuloperitonitis in cattle.

This study was designed to investigate whether kits to measure circulating cardiac troponin-I (cTn-I) and cardiac troponin-T (cTn-T) can be used to determine myocardial cell damage in cattle with traumatic reticuloperitonitis (trp). Twenty cattle with trp were compared with 10 clinically healthy cattle. cTn-I and cTn-T were determined qualitatively and cTn-I was determined quantitatively; biochemical analyses were also performed on both groups. The mean serum concentrations of total protein, globulin, glucose and calcium, and the mean activities of creatine kinase mb, aspartate aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase and gamma-glutamyl transferase were higher in the cattle with trp than in the control group. The cTn-I and cTn-T kits both gave positive results in three of the cattle with trp and the quantitative measurement of cTn-I was positive in 11 of the trp cases. Both tests were negative in the healthy cattle.

The sensitivities and specificities of total plasma protein and plasma fibrinogen for the diagnosis of traumatic reticuloperitonitis in cattle.

We performed a prospective clinical study to select cut-off points for total plasma protein (TPP) and plasma fibrinogen (PF) to differentiate between traumatic reticuloperitonitis (TRP) and other gastrointestinal diseases with similar clinical signs, and to estimate the dependence and accuracy of TPP and PF when used in series or in parallel. TPP and PF were estimated preoperatively by refractometry in 93 cattle with TRP and 65 cattle with gastrointestinal diseases such as vagus indigestion (n = 16), liver abscesses (n = 17), omasal impaction (n = 19) and Johne's disease (n = 13). Three different cut-off points were selected by two-graph receiver-operating characteristic (TG-ROC) analysis for TPP and PF. Conditional covariances were calculated as a measure of dependence between sensitivities and specificities of TPP and PF. The cut-off points of 7.22, 7.78 and 8.82g/dl for TPP and 622, 691 and 766mg/dl for PF were suggested by TG-ROC based on different requirements of test performances. There was moderate negative dependence between sensitivities of TPP and PF at the 8.82g/dl and 766mg/dl cut-off points, and mild negative dependence between their specificities at the 7.78g/dl and 691mg/dl cut-off points, respectively. Acceptable accuracy (98 or 86% specificity with 62 or 88% sensitivity, respectively) was obtained with serial interpretation of the tests.

Reticular foreign bodies. Causative or coincidence?

A radiographically identified penetrating reticular foreign body is a near-certain cause of traumatic reticulitis, parareticular abscessation, or peritonitis. An extrareticular wire or nail is the most likely cause of reticulitis or peritonitis in an animal with compatible clinical signs. An immobile reticular foreign body may be trapped in the reticular mucosa, penetrating a mucosal fold (but not the reticular wall), or piercing the wall of the reticulum.

Acute-phase response in dairy cows with surgically-treated abdominal disorders.

Ninety-seven dairy cows suffering from traumatic reticuloperitonitis, abomasal displacement, and other gastrointestinal disorders or dystocia were referred for abdominal surgery. Plasma protein concentrations, including plasma fibrinogen and haptoglobin, and conventional haematological variables were determined both pre- and postoperatively. The examined variables were not of value in predicting the outcome of the abdominal disorders in general, but fibrinogen concentrations may be helpful in postoperative monitoring of infectious complications, such as peritonitis. Fifty-five per cent of the cows had increased haptoglobin concentrations preoperatively and abdominal surgery led to an additional haptoglobin increase for a further 2-3 days. It is recommended that pre- and postoperative haptoglobin values should be compared when monitoring infectious complications. Non-parametric receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis suggested that plasma haptoglobin concentration was the most accurate parameter for differentiating traumatic reticuloperitonitis from other gastrointestinal disorders, but plasma fibrinogen and globulin concentrations were also of value in this respect.

Aortic thromboembolism associated with traumatic reticuloperitonitis in a downer cow.

A large thrombus was found at the ileal bifurcation on post mortem examination of a 6-year-old Jersey cow which presented clinically with a history of acute onset recumbency, hind limb paresis and skin necrosis over the sacral area. Other significant findings on post mortem were traumatic reticuloperitonitis accompanied by mural thrombosis of the left ventricle associated with a purulent sinus tract through the ventricular wall, fibrous adhesions between the pericardium, diaphragm and liver, and multiple infarcts in both kidneys.

Evaluation of the pathogenesis of vagus indigestion in cows with traumatic reticuloperitonitis.

OBJECTIVE--To evaluate the functional importance of impaired reticular contractions attributable to inflammatory adhesions in the pathogenesis of vagus indigestion in cows with traumatic reticuloperitonitis (TRP). DESIGN--Case control study. ANIMALS--42 dairy cows with TRP were compared with 10 healthy control cows. Cows with TRP were assigned to 3 groups: cows with uncomplicated TRP (n = 15), cows with TRP and a disturbance of digesta passage through the reticular-omasal orifice (TRP-AD; n = 17), and cows with TRP and a disturbance of digesta passage through the pylorus (TRP-PD; n = 10). PROCEDURE--Cows were evaluated, using routine clinical methods, biochemical analysis of blood and ruminal fluid samples, exploratory rumenotomy, and postmortem examination. RESULTS--Damage of thoracic and abdominal parts of the main vagal branches were not evident in cows with TRP. Parareticular inflammatory adhesions were more extensive in cows with TRP-AD and in cows with TRP-PD than in cows with uncomplicated TRP. Reticular motility was decreased in cows with TRP-AD and TRP-PD, compared with cows with uncomplicated TRP and control cows. In contrast to cows with uncomplicated TRP and cows with TRP-AD, the abomasum was impacted with large amounts of long fibrous material in most of the cows with TRP-PD. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS--We believe that disturbances of digesta passage in cows with TRP represent distinct stages of a common pathogenetic course. The primary disease mechanism was a disturbance in particle-separating processes in the reticulum/rumen attributable to mechanical inhibition of reticular motility that was the result of extensive inflammatory parareticular adhesions.

Sonographic investigation of reticular contractions in healthy sheep, cows and goats and in cows with traumatic reticulo-peritonitis.

The objective of the study was (a) to compare sonographically the sequence of reticular contractions between grass and roughage eaters (cows, sheep) and intermediate feeders (goats) and (b) to check whether sonography may be useful for the investigation of cattle with a history of traumatic reticulo-peritonitis (TRP). All animals were investigated from the left ventral Regio parachondriaca with a 2.5 MHz sector scanner. Reticular contractions were recorded on video and evaluated later on. Duration of the contractions was found to be surprisingly uniform between individuals of the investigated species. However, in cattle and sheep the reticular floor moves over longer distances during both contractions in cranio-dorsal direction compared to goats, i.e. the velocity with which the reticulum contracts was markedly higher in sheep (5.3 +/- 1.4 cm* s-1) and cows (4.4 +/- 2.0) than in goats (2.1 +/- 0.9). Thus, in sheep and cattle feed particles are transported with a higher force in caudo-dorsal direction resulting in a longer retention time of particles in the reticulorumen than in goats. Sonographic investigation of eight cows with clinical symptoms of acute TRP indicated that sonography is a valuable method for the diagnosis of TRP. Implications of sonographic signs for the clinical course in such patients are discussed.

Comparison of ultrasonographic and radiographic findings in cows with traumatic reticuloperitonitis.

The radiographic and ultrasonographic findings in 26 cows with traumatic reticuloperitonitis were compared. The cows were divided into three groups based on the radiographic findings; the first group consisted of 12 cows in which the principal radiographic finding was a foreign body penetrating the reticulum; the second group contained four cows in which the principal radiographic finding was gas shadows or a gas-fluid interface, the third group consisted of 10 cows that had no reliable radiographic evidence of traumatic reticuloperitonitis, such as an abnormal contour, position or shape of the reticulum. In no case could the foreign bodies be visualised by ultrasonography. In all the cows except one with radiographic evidence of abnormal gas inclusions and gas-fluid interfaces, ultrasonography revealed echogenic, partitioned and capsulated structures with central hypoechogenic cavities. In addition, in some of the cows with no radiographic evidence of the condition, severe changes indicative of inflammatory processes were visible by ultrasonography.

Ultrasonographic findings in cows with traumatic reticuloperitonitis.

The morphological changes in the region of the reticulum were examined ultrasonographically in 26 cows with traumatic reticuloperitonitis, and a radiograph of the reticulum was also taken. The ultrasonographic examination included observations of reticular motility during a three minute period, of reticular contours and of adjacent structures such as the diaphragm, the anterior dorsal blind sac of the rumen, the ventral sac of the rumen, the spleen, omasum, abomasum and liver. In cows with disturbed reticular motility, biphasic contractions were slower than normal or indistinct, and the number of contractions was reduced. Fibrinous changes appeared as echogenic deposits, sometimes accompanied by hypoechogenic fluid. Abscesses had an echogenic capsule with a hypoechogenic centre. In seven cows, there was an effusion in the region of the reticulum in addition to the morphological changes. The spleen was involved in the adhesions in four cows, the omasum in three cows, the liver in one cow and the abomasum in one cow. Radiography revealed foreign bodies penetrating the reticulum of 12 cows and magnets in the reticulum of seven cows. None of these foreign bodies or magnets could be visualised by ultrasonography.

Decision analysis in the evaluation of diagnostic tests.

Decision analysis was used to evaluate the clinical usefulness of 2 diagnostic tests: one for canine heartworm disease and the other for bovine traumatic reticulo-peritonitis. Several clinically relevant measures of test performance are introduced, including expected utility, risk profile, testing band, threshold analysis, and the relative cost of misdiagnosis. One of the principal benefits of decision analysis of diagnostic tests is that the technique can be used to determine how changes in underlying assumptions will affect clinical decisions. If clinicians can identify and assign values to relevant variables, then decision analysis can provide clinically meaningful guidelines for interpreting the results of diagnostic tests. To take advantage of these techniques, clinicians must become comfortable with quantitative expressions for test performance, risk, and prognosis.