Repro pt 3 Flashcards
What is early embryonic death (EED)?
death up to 35-45 days post conception in LA, 20 days in SA
often go unnoticed or open animals, nothing to submit to lab, usually non-infectious - major chromosomal anomalies
What is abortion?
expulsion of fetus prior to the time of viability
What is a stillbirth?
expulsion of a dead fetus at the time of viability
What is a non-viable neonate?
delivery of a live, weak-born animal
What are the 2 important infectious causes of EED in cattle?
Tritrichomonas fetus
Campylobacter fetus ssp venerialis
why is the diagnostic rate of fetal loss so low?
- no/little knowledge of maternal health
- maybe not receiving placenta (some things are only diagnosable by placenta)
- fetus retained in utero and autolysis obscured lesions
What are factors that improve diagnostic rate?
- outbreak vs sporadic abortion
- infectious cause – 90% of cases with a diagnosis
- fresh fetus
- include placenta
What are the 2 very broad categories of fetal loss? which is more common? what is the exception?
infectious and non-infectious
infectious
horses – large number of non-infectious causes of fetal loss - many of them have to do with lack of placental reserve
What are the non-infectious causes of fetal loss common to all species?
- anomalies
- nutritional diseases (excess or deficiency)
- toxicosis (plants)
- hyperthermia
- environmental stresses (trauma)
what are the non-infectious causes of fetal loss unique to horses?
- twinning
- inadequate villus development (endometrial fibrosis)
- premature placental separation
- body pregnancy
- umbilical cord anomalies (torsion, excessive length)
Give me examples of bacteria that are infectious causes one fetal loss in multiple species? which ones are zoonotic?
- Brucella spp.
- Campylobacter spp.
- Chlamydia abortus
- Coxiella burnetii
- Leptospira spp.
- Listeria monocytogenes
- Mycoplasma spp.
- Salmonella spp.
- Ureaplasma spp
everything is zoonotic except for Mycoplasma and Ureaplasma
Give me 2 broad categories of viruses that cause fetal loss in multiple species. Which are zoonotic?
Herpesviruses and Pestiviruses
neither are zoonotic (host specific)
Give me examples of protozoa that cause fetal loss in multiple species. which ones are zoonotic?
Toxoplasma gondii
Neospora caninum
Toxoplasma is zoonotic
Give me the gross appearance of organs from an animal with herpesvirus (works w/ multiple spp). what histo feature should you know?
multifocal, 1-2mm, white foci of necrosis. Most commonly in the liver, but any organ can be affected incl. lung, kidney, adrenal gland, brain
histo: intranuclear inclusion bodies
Describe what lesions an animal with pestivirus has (works with multiple spp).
fetal death or persistent infection or fetal malformation (often CNS). depending on virus strain, fetal age, and fetal immune system development
What is the most common route of infection to a fetus in ruminants?
hematogenous spread to the placentome
what is the most common route of infection to a fetus in horses?
ascending infection through the “loose” cervix
What 3 things can organisms do once placentitis is established?
- penetrate amnion to colonize skin
- inhalation/ingestion of contaminated amniotic fluid
- spread through umbilical vessels to the liver and hematogenously throughout fetus
Give me the diagnostic process for fetal loss.
- examine the placenta for any abnormalities
- external examination of the fetus for evidence of fetal distress, congenital abnormalities, skin lesions
- estimate/verify the gestational age of the fetus
- determine the state of preservation at the time of expulsion
- classify the fetal death (abortion, stillbirth, non-viable neonate)
- perform a routine necropsy and record any gross findings
What is being shown here? Is it a lesion?
amniotic plaques, seen in all species
not a lesion
What is being shown here? Is it a lesion?
adventitial placentation in cattle. basically there is placental insufficiency so there is intercotyledonary placentation to compensate for this.
not a lesion itself, but often accompanies placentitis because there is an insufficiency going on
What is this? is it a lesion?
hippomane
not a lesion, it is normal (esp in horses)
are there usually any gross lesions seen with viral infections in the placenta?
no
what is placentitis?
inflammation of the fetal membranes
What are the two broad categories of placentitis?
Cotyledonary and intercotyledonary
This is a bovine placenta. What is the lesion?
intercotyledonary and cotyledonary placentitis
With intercotyledonary and cotyledonary placentitis, what etiologies should you think of first?
bacterial and fungal
esp Brucella spp (depending on location)
this is a bovine placenta. What is the lesion?
mycotic placentitis
Describe the gross appearance of mycotic placentitis. Is it intercotyledonary or cotyledonary?
exaggerated cotyledonary cupping, leathery appearance, infarction
both
This is an ovine placenta. What is the lesion? what is your primary differential for etiology?
cotyledonary placentitis caused by protozoal infection
toxoplasmosis/Toxoplasma gondii
describe the gross appearance of a placenta infected with a protozoa. what is the most common protozoa to infect a placenta in small ruminants?
cotyledonary placentitis with pinpoint foci of necrosis and mineralization
Toxoplasma gondii
Inflammation (placentitis) is most severe adjacent to the ____ ____ in mares. This is because the equine cervix is ___ and bacteria readily transfer from the vagina to the placenta at this location.
cervical star
loose
What is this? What species?
Placentitis in a mare
In horses, the umbilical cord should be >/< ____ cm/m in length and no more than ____-____ twists. Excessively long umbilical cords are prone to ____. This is a common non-infectious cause of equine abortion.
<83cm
3-4 twists
torsion
This is a horse fetus and placenta. What is the lesion? How did the fetus die?
Umbilical torsion
vascular blockage of the veins/arteries
What are 2 pieces of evidence of fetal distress?
- meconium staining
- dystocia
Describe the pathology of how meconium indicates fetal distress. what is meconium?
when a fetus is distressed from intrauterine hypoxia, meconium is released into the amnion. In addition, the fetus gasps/gulps and aspirates/ingests amniotic fluid into the lungs and abomasum.
baby’s first poop = meconium
Why is this fetus yellow?
meconium staining
This is the trachea and lungs of a fetus. Look in the trachea. What evidence is there to indicate fetal distress?
meconium aspiration
Reduced venous and lymphatic drainage results in ___, ____, and ____ of the head and tongue, suggestive of ____.
edema, congestion, hemorrhage
dystocia
what are the 2 broad categories of congenital malformations?
- breed-associated
- unknown (genetic or teratogenic)
In mycotic infections, what fetal skin lesion is commonly present? what is the gross appearance?
fetal dermatitis/hyperkeratosis
raised, white, plaques often over shoulders and head
This is the head of a calf. What is the lesion? What is it indicative of?
Fetal dermatitis/hyperkeratosis
mycotic infection
Hypotrichosis in calves can be ____ or caused by an in utero infection with ____. What is hypotrichosis?
Hereditary
BVDV
little/no hair growth where there normally is hair
What is the lesion? Give me two reasons why this might occur in utero
Hypotrichosis
hereditary or in utero infection with BVDV
This is abnormal wool from a lamb. What is the other name for this condition? What is it indicative of?
Hairy shakers
Border disease virus (BVD) infection in utero
What are 3 ways to estimate/verify the gestational age of the fetus?
- weight
- crown-rump length
- fetal characteristics
Give me the pathogenesis of how a fetus is fresh at expulsion.
- fetuses initiate their own birth through a hormonal cascade
- fetuses that die slowly are stressed and have time to initiate parturition
- they are expelled immediately and may be born dead or weak-born
- they are fresh at time of expulsion
Give me the pathogenesis of how a fetus is mummified/autolyzed at expulsion.
- fetuses initiate their own birth through a hormonal cascade.
- fetuses that die suddenly don’t have time to signal to the cow
- they remain in utero and “cook” for a while before expulsion)
- they are autolyzed or mummified at expulsion
A fresh fetus is typical of _____ disease (often ____) and may be ___ for its age
chronic disease
often placentitis
small for its age
An autolyzed fetus indicates ___ fetal death usually from ____, _____, or _____ infection.
rapid
viremia, septicemia, protozoal
What state of preservation is this fetus in?
autolyzed
What state of preservation is this fetus in?
fresh
What state of preservation is this fetus in?
autolyzed
Describe the gross appearance of an autolyzed fetus
tissues are diffusely stained pink to red with a red gelatinous appearance of the subq and serosanguinous fluid in body cavities
What state of preservation is this fetus in?
mummy
Tell me about the gross appearance of mummified fetuses.
Fetal retention with progressive dehydration to become a firm, dry, leathery mass
What 2 criteria must there be in order to achieve a mummified fetus?
- bacteria must be absent
- cervix must remain closed
What does SMEDI stand for? what species? what is it?
Stillbirth, mummification, embryonic death & infertility
pigs
Virus infection that moves up form one piglet to another
What is this picture an example of?
SMEDI
This is a fetus (trust me, it is). What state of preservation is it in?
macerated
This is a fetus (really it is, trust me). What state of preservation is it in?
Macerated
Maceration of a fetus requires what kind of infection?
bacterial
Macerated fetuses can be quite serious for the mother… why?
endometritis, metritis, pyometia, and toxaemia may occur. also the bones of the fetus don’t macerate, so they may perforate the mother
How do you tell (pathologically) between a stillbirth and a non-viable neonate?
look at lungs and put them in water.
If they float, that means fetus took its first breath = non-viable neonate)
if they sink, that means fetus didn’t take its first breath = stillborn
you can also look for periarterial hemorrhage (near umbilical aa) in a non-viable neonate (hemorrhage means alive)
You are doing a necropsy on a calf and find these lesions. What organ is this? What are 3 causes?
thyroid gland
iodine deficient diet, goitrogenic substances in the diet, inherited genetic condition
What is a hemorrhagic tracheal cast pathognomonic for in cattle?
Trueperella pyogenes abortion
What is a fibrinous tracheal cast pathognomonic for in mares?
EHV-1 abortion
What is this? what caused this?
hemorrhagic tracheal cast
Trueperella pyogenes abortion
miliary hepatic necrosis is a feature of certain _____ (esp. ______) and _____ _____.
viremias (esp herpesviruses)
bacterial septicemia
This is a bovine liver. What caused this?
herpesvirus
bovine herpesvirus 1
What are the histo hallmarks of fetal herpesvirus infections?
multi systemic foci of lytic necrosis and intranuclear inclusion bodies
targetoid hepatic necrosis is typical of what?
Camylobacter infections (C. fetus fetus and C. jejuni)
This is the liver of a fetal lamb. What is the lesion? what most likely caused it?
targetoid hepatic necrosis
Campylobacter spp.
what lesion does this fetus have?
Arthrogryposis
Arthrogryposis:
1. often accompanied by deformities of what?
2. if occurring as an epidemic, what should you think of?
- spinal column and CNS
- teratogenic viruses or toxins
What lesion is this? What is the common general etiology?
Cerebellar hypoplasia.
viral
Cerebellar hypoplasia indicates which specific etiologies in fetuses?
parvoviruses (panleukopenia in kittens) and pestiviruses (BVDV xncalves and CSFV in pigs)
What is the target organ in protozoal infections?
CNS/brain
