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Year 2003 - Volume 23, Number 1
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Pituitary abscess syndrome in calves following injury of the nasal septum by a plastic device used to prevent suckling, 23(1):39-46
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ABSTRACT.- Loretti A. P., Ilha M. R. S., Riet-Correa G., Driemeier D., Colodel E. M. & Barros C. S. L. 2002. [Pituitary abscess syndrome in calves following injury of the nasal septum by a plastic device used to prevent suckling.] Síndrome do abscesso pituitário em bezerros associada ao uso de tabuleta nasal para desmame interrompido. Pesquisa Veterinária Brasileira 23(1):39-46. Depto Patologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS 97105- 900, Brazil. E-mail: claudioslbarros@uol.corn.br
Outbreaks and sporadic cases of the pituitary abscess syndrome are described in calves in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil. The disease occurred in eight beef cattle farms in the rnunicipalities of Cachoeira do Sul, Lavras do Sul, Bagé, Osório and Vila Nova do Sul, from 1998 to 2002. Thirty-five (1.4%) out of 2,438 calves with 3-12 rnonths of age were affected and 24 (0.98%) died. A nasal plastic device to prevent suckling had been used in all the affected calves. Clinicai signs consisted of nasal discharge, depression, hypertherrnia, ataxia, circling, head tilt and hyperrnetria, exophtalrnos, dysphagia, partial mandibular paralysis, prolapse of the tangue, difficulty in chewing, drooling and in some cases blindness accompanied or not by aqueous flare, prolapse of the ocular globe and corneal opacity. ln the terminal stages of the disease, there was lateral recumbency, opisthotonus and coma. The main necropsy findings included single large hypophyseal or para-hypophyseal abscesses. Those space-occupying lesions dorsally compressed the brain stem and the cranial nerves adjacent to the hypophysis. In sorne cases, there was also osteornyelitis of the basisphenoid bone, single or rnultiple brain abscesses and leptomeningitis affecting the ventral surface of the brain stern and cervical spinal cord. In a few cases, necrotizing or abscedative rhinitis associated with nose device injury was observed. Histologically, those abscesses consisted mainly of neutrophils adrnixed with cellular debris surrounded by numerous mononuclear cells anda fibrous capsule. Fibrino-suppurative rneningitis affecting the leptorneninges of the cerebellum, brain stem and cervical spinal cord was also observed. In some cases, purulent inflammation extended into the hypophyseal parenchyma. Arcanobacterium (Actinomyces) pyogenes was isolated from the abscesses. The diagnosis of pituitary abscess syndrome was based on epidemiological data, clinicai signs, necropsy findings, histological alterations and bacterial cultures. |
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