Reproduction Pathology Flashcards
What is freemartinism?
- Female co-twin to a male calf (dizygotic twins)
- Placental anastomoses (reconnection of two streams that previously branched) out allows colonization by haemtopoietic cells from male twin into female
- Development of the female twin is affected because the animal is a Chimera
- Macroscopic features
- External genitalia: normal or clitoromegaly with hair tufts
- May have skin fold from vulva to umbilicus
- Blind-ended hypoplastic vagina
- Underdeveloped uterus
- Uterus does not communicate with vagina
- Male vestigial glands present
- Small/underdeveloped mammary gland
- Small ovaries (or ovotestis)
What is uterus didelphys?
Uterine failure of fusion malformation where the uterus is present as a paired organ when the embryogenetic fusion of the Müllerian ducts fails to occur. As a result, there is a double uterus with two separate cervices, and often a double vagina as well. Each uterus has a single horn linked to the ipsilateral fallopian tube that faces its ovary
Describe pyometra and sequelae in cattle.
- Acute or chronic suppurative infection of the uterus with accumulation of pus in the uterine lumen (sequel to endometritis/metritis)
- Sequelae in bovine:
- Post-parturient ovulation and retained foetal membrane and/or uterine infection (or early embryonic death)
- Corpus luteum persists
- Continued progesterone secretion which enables persistence of infection
What causes myeloid hyperplasia?
Found in the bone marrow from pushing to manufacture white blood cells
Describe pyometra in the dog.
Most bitches that develop pyometra are middle aged/old and have never been bred. Typically the animal will present 4-8 weeks after oestrus with a history of inappetance, lethargy, vomiting, polyuria and polydipsia and may or may not have a uterine discharge. Pyrexia, circulating neutrophilia and a painful/distended abdomen may also be noted. The animals typically have associated cystic endometrial hyperplasia which occurs due to oestrogen priming followed by elevated progesterone (i.e. normal cycle) which, along with local irritation/inflammation, allows the development of cystic endometrial hyperplasia, mucoid secretion and subsequent bacterial infection (E. coli, Staph. aureus, Strep sp.) with pus accumulation in the uterus results in pyometra. The cervix may be closed or open and there tends to be increased severity of signs if cervix closed.
Describe cystic endometrial hyperplasia (CEH)
- Common response of the uterus
- Occurs in dioestrus
- Oestrogen priming of the uterus followed by progesterone (+/- inflammation or irritant)
- Endometrial hyperplasia with dilated (cystic) glands
- Stages
- Oestrogen priming and elevated progesterone
- Cystic endometrial hyperplasia
- Mucous secretion and secondary infection
- Bacterial infection is stage 3
- Clinical pyometra
List some causes of abortion.
- Herpesvirus
- Pestivirus
- Brucella abortus
- Listeriosis (across species)
- Toxoplasmosis
- Fungi
- Salmonella (across species)
What is Galacterorrhea?
Milky nipple discharge unrelated to the normal milk production of breast-feeding
Describe the pathogenesis sequelae of mastitis.
- Trauma and cell damage
- Allows disruption of the normal microenvironment with invasion and proliferation of the pathogenic organism
- Invasion of udder and bacterial proliferation
- Tissue penetration and inflammation
- Clinical mastitis and sequelae may include
- Involution of the gland and fibrosis
- Chronic infection (raised somatic cell counts)
- Abscessation
- Death of the animal
- Loss of affected quarter
- Epithelial damage
- Loss of blood/milk barrier and leakage of extracellular fluid into gland and milk causing watery milk with clots of cells
What is hydrocoele?
Result of excessive fluid in the tunica vaginalis (the serous space surrounding the testis). Presentation is usually as a soft, non-tender, and cystic swelling in the scrotum which transilluminates.
What is orchitis and describe the aetiology.
- Inflammation of the testis/testes
- Usually sporadic/rare
- Often associated with epididymitis
- Aetiology
- Release of sperm into interstitial tissues causing a granulomatous response
- Infection
- Haematogenous
- Ascending infection
- Secondary infection following localised trauma
What is a teratoma?
- Testicular neoplasm of the germinal cells
- Grossly: irregular shape, solid with cysts, variable colour
- Histologicaly: Chaotic with combinations of hair, cartilage, bone, and glandular cells
- Metastases rare
- Affected testicle is non-functional
What is a seminoma?
- Testicular neoplasm of the germinal cells
- Grossly: spherical and lobulated/irregular, large, soft, friable, white/grey, bulges on cut surface
- Histologically: Homogenous sheet of round/polygonal cells with some multinucleated forms, scant cytoplasm, no fat in cells, small amounts of stroma present, mitotic figures prevalent, lymphocyte foci
- Metastasis rare
- Affected testicle is non-functional
- Derived from the round cells that form the spermatozoa
- Consist of round cells
- Present as soft, fleshy, off-white tumour
- Germinal cells of the testis
- Will occasionally metastasize across the spermatic cord
- Lymphocyte infiltrates
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What is a sertoli cell tumour?
- Testicular neoplasia
- Sertoli cells: Normally provide trophic support, elongated
- Grossly: spherical, large, nodular/lobulated, irregular bands of dense connective tissue (firm texture), +/- haemorrhage or cysts, white/cream
- Whiter and fimer than other testicular tumour
- Histologically: tubular or diffuse pattern, tall columnar cells with indistinct cell borders, +/- lipid, dense fibrous stroma, mitotic figures
- Slightly elongated cells
- Large amount of connective tissue
- High mitotic index
- Metastasis rare
- Affected testicle is functional but overproduction of oestrogen may cause atrophy of contralateral testicle
- Produce testosterone and oestrogen
- Can cause feminizaiton (elongation of teats)- bisymmetrical alopecia, attraction by other male dogs
- Presence of metastasis can be measured by hormones
Describe a Leydig (interstitial) cell tumour.
- Grossly: encapsulated, small to medium in size, soft, cysts may be present, tan/orange in colour, haemorrhage may be present
- Most common
- Histologically: solid sheets of polyhedral/rounded cells, large amount of cytoplasm, often with prominent vacuoles, small amount of stroma, mitotic figures rare
- Cords and sheets of polygonal cells
- Blood-filled spaces and spaces filled with oedema fluid
- Metastasis very rare
- Affected testicle sometimes functional
- Low grade testicular tumour
