Genital Pathology in Pregnant Uterus Flashcards
1
Q
Objectives
(4)
A
- mostly ascending in both non-pregnant and pregnant
2
Q
A
A. Embryo
think about the differences between these definitions!
cant tell what sex or species it is
3
Q
Definitions
(Embryo, Foetus, Stillbirth, Abortion)
A
*
4
Q
Pregnancy
(& Hormones)
A
- this is the reason a lot of animals and humans are immunocompromised during pregnancy
- high progesterone levels
- eCG in horses
- echo
- loss of progesterone can end up in an abortion - doesn’t always need to be an infectious disease
5
Q
Parturition and Abortion
A
- can be from illness in fetus or dam
- may die so fast that it may not release enough glucorticoids to be released
- will hang around until released otherwise
6
Q
Embryonic Loss
A
this is actually very frequent!
- majority are chromosomal abnormalities or underline issues in the uterus
- echo
7
Q
Foetal Death
A
- often occurs due to placentitis
8
Q
Foetal Death
(Aborted, Stillborn, Retained)
A
9
Q
Foetal Death
(uniparous and multiparous)
A
- horse and cattle in particular are uniparous
- late gestation - can’t really maintain pregnancy
- multiparous: sow, dog
*
10
Q
A
- classically in the sow
- generally caused by parvovirus, but can be casued by others
- Stillbirth, mummification, embryonic death, and Infertility
- (echo)
11
Q
A
B. Bacterial Cause
-majority of bacteria would cause putrification –> you would get mummification
12
Q
A
- If you get putrfication - you will get breakdown of the skin and the fetus will not remain
- there can be a stillborn with a mummified fetus that go full term - shows they were infected with same thing at different times
- generally it is just bones covered with dried up organs and skin (but most important thing to note is that if it is mummification–> ISNT PUTRIFYING BACTERIA)
13
Q
A
- echo
- foetus becomes liquified
- maybe reabsorbed or expelled as a ball of pus
- can be completely broken down (like this one) or incomplete
- can often negatively affect the uterus and any further pregnancies
14
Q
A
- need an open cervix to have this
- tends to happen if you forget a twin calf in there that the cow is too tired to push out, the baby then dies and the mother will then a day later generally due to toxaemia
- echo
15
Q
Non-Infectious Abortions
(percentages)
A
- not all abortions are infectious - actually most are non-infectious
16
Q
A
C. Haematogenous Infection
-during pregnancy the cervix is closed
echo
17
Q
Infectious Abortions- Pathogen Entry
A
- generally happen during coitus?
18
Q
Abortion Investigations in Livestock
(Sheep, Cattle, Pigs)
A
- abortions in dogs, cats are rare and are rarely investigated
- but in livestock it plays an important role! - can lead to massive losses
- If you submit a fetus for investigation ALWAYS submit the placenta as well
- most abortions are late in pregnancy
- if it is very acute or above 5% then you want to start to investigate
- no point in submitting a single fetus
19
Q
A
- always the same 3 every year
- want to exclude those 3 first in investigation to look at others
20
Q
A
- less clearly defined than sheep
21
Q
Porcine Foetopathy 2016
(rate and causes)
A
22
Q
A
- hasn’t been much coming out
- most common is a non-infectious
- concern is equine herpes!
23
Q
A
- torsion of long umbilical cord
- genetic diseases
- abnormal palate
- nutrition factors - iron deficiency leading to enlarged thyroid glands
24
Q
A
D. Acardiac Monster
- wanted to be a cattle twin at one point
- misdeveloped
- hair and sometime teeth on the inside
25
Infectious Abortions
* think of these when you think infectious causes!
26
Bacteria and Abortions
| (chart)
* these are quite some common causes
* letter corresponds to species
* timing will not tell you much, majority of them are later
* majority of them cause placentitis
* and quite a lot of them have zoonotic potential (coxiella burnetti in particular - **Q- fever**)
27
Q for question
* couldn't figure out what it was
* echo
28
**A. Aspergillus fumigatus**
- placenta looks very thick and leathery - suggests placentitis
- white skin plaques on fetus are fungal growths
29
Diagnosis of Bacterial and Fungal Diseases
* predominantly diagnose by carrying out a culture
* be aware of external contamination as it lands on the ground
* tend not to culture placenta for this reason
* can do the stomach contents of the fetus - amniotic fluid will be swallowed in small amounts over gestation (almost acts as a wash of the placenta - easy to get a good sample for contents)
* some causes cannot be cultured (chlamydia abortus) - look at characteristical traits instead!
* Leptospira can't really be cultured either
30
Viral Causes of Foetal Loss
green : major viral groups involved
* herpes virus is always a good guess
yellow: notifiable diseases
* brucella is another notifiable disease to be aware of
* they are all exotic to the UK so we must report that we don't have it
31
Diagnosis of Viral Abortions
* virus isolation is rarely done as it usually takes a live fetus to have that virus?
* echo
* If you can look for antigen rather than antibody, do so
* free foetal fluid is pericardial, peritoneal fluid, etc. (not stomach fluid)
32
* equine herpes- multifocal necrosis (often doesnt look like this)
* BVD is cattle or panleukopaneia in cats - hypoplasia?
33
Protozoal Causes of Foetal Loss
| (*Neospora caninum*)
* #1 identified diagnosis of abortion in cattle
* once it is infected, will remain infected generally for lifetime
* most important way of it being spread is actually vertical! - not from other hosts
* persistently infected calves
* this will affect how you will go about approaching that
34
*Toxoplasma gondii*
* strawberry pip lesions?
* multifocal necrosis in the cotyledons
* generally doesn't ever look like that so you will need further confirmations - foetal fluid serology --\> look to see if it is Ab positive which is sufficient (price and speed point is more user friendly)
* cat feces contamination
* will be clinically significant
* mummification is often seen - not putrefying bacteria
35
Take Home Messages
| (5)
* need to be careful about when you further investigate
* remember to submit the placenta for sampling!
