Carla Aparecida Batista Lorigados

Malformations in Neotropical Viperids: Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis

Malformations can occur in all living species, but there is little information about anomalies that occur in snakes and their frequency. This study assessed malformations in newborn South American pit vipers (Bothrops jararaca) and South American rattlesnakes (Crotalus durissus) from wild captured pregnant females (240 and 35 litters, respectively). Newborn snakes were measured, weighed, sexed and studied grossly and by radiography for the presence of malformations. Ninety-five malformed pit vipers were identified from 4,087 births (2.3%), while 36 malformed rattlesnakes were found from 324 births (11.1%). Spinal abnormalities were the most common in both species, followed by fusion of ventral scales. Pit vipers showed a greater range of malformations including schistosomia (22.1%), kinked tail (13.7%), bicephaly (3.1%) and hydrocephaly (2.1%).

Estudo clínico-radiográfico da subluxação atlantoaxial congênita em cães

Neste estudo foram analisadas ficha clinica e radiografias simples de caes com diagnostico de subluxacao atlantoaxial congenita, obtidos junto ao Servico de Radiologia do Hospital Veterinario da Faculdade de Medicina Veterinaria e Zootecnia da Universidade de Sao Paulo, no periodo de janeiro de 1990 a dezembro de 1999. Durante este periodo, foram identificados sete caes com alteracoes do processo odontoide do axis (agenesia ou hipoplasia), levando a instabilidade da articulacao atlantoaxial e consequente compressao medular. Todos os animais, com idade igual ou inferior a um ano, apresentavam sinais neurologicos. O diagnostico definitivo foi firmado mediante as alteracoes observadas em exame radiografico simples.

Tomografia computadorizada de mastocitomas em cães: avaliação pré e pós-tratamento quimioterápico

Nineteen dogs with mast cell tumors treated with chemotherapy were evaluated by computed tomography (CT). Were evaluated aspects related to contours, attenuation, post-contrast enhancement and presence of cleavage with adjacent structures. The RECIST criteria and volumetric measurement of lesions were performed to assess the response to treatment. The mast cell tumors presented a homogeneous or heterogeneous attenuation, presented more frequently a well delineated and regular contours and moderate enhancement after intravenous administration of the iodinated contrast media. The methods RECIST and volumetric measurements showed an excellent agreement to the classification of therapeutic response, providing a good parameter of the response to treatment. The CT examination proved to be useful in the delimitation of the tumor and an important tool for planning of surgical margins.

Urinary Fractional Excretion of Phosphorus in Dogs with Spontaneous Chronic Kidney Disease

The increase of urinary fractional excretion of phosphorus (uFEP) may indicate phosphorus retention before the onset of hyperphosphatemia in the early stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD). The hypothesis of this study is whether uFEP may increase during the early stage of CKD as a compensatory mechanism to prevent hyperphosphatemia as well as whether hyperphosphatemia in the late stages is associated with increase or decrease in uFEP in dogs with naturally occurring CKD; therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the uFEP in CKD dogs with different stages. Forty-nine CKD dogs were included, and they were divided into stage 1 (serum creatinine < 1.4 mg/dL), stage 2 (serum creatinine 1.5 to 2.0 mg/dL), stage 3 (serum creatinine 2.1 to 5.0 mg/dL) and stage 4 (serum creatinine > 5.0 mg/dL), according to the IRIS staging criteria. The stage 3 was subdivided into stage 3-A (serum creatinine 2.1 to 3.5 mg/dL) and stage 3-B (serum creatinine 3.6 to 5.0 mg/dL). The control group comprised 10 dogs, and uFEP ≤ 40% was considered as normal. A progressive increase in uFEP along the progression of CKD was found. However, similar results of uFEP levels were observed in late CKD, since there were no differences between stages 3 (A, B) and 4. Interestingly, some CKD dogs with stage 4 showed normal or reduced uFEP, besides hyperphosphatemia; conversely, some dogs in early CKD had increased uFEP values and normophosphatemia. Our findings suggest that uFEP may act as a compensatory mechanism to avoid the onset of hyperphosphatemia in early CKD, but not in later stages. uFEP assessment may be considered as an additional tool for the diagnostic and monitoring of phosphate disorders in dogs with CKD, since it may help to identify disturbances of phosphorus balance. More studies are needed to elucidate the role of uFEP in phosphorus homeostasis in dogs with CKD.

MICROCOMPUTED TOMOGRAPHIC, MORPHOMETRIC, AND HISTOPATHOLOGIC ASSESSMENT OF CONGENITAL BONE MALFORMATIONS IN TWO NEOTROPICAL VIPERIDS

Abstract Congenital malformations have been reported in all classes of vertebrates and may be a determinant of life span and survival. In reptiles, the incidence of congenital malformations can be associated with genetic and environmental causes, including pollution. The characterization of pathological processes involved in the development of congenital malformations of bone in snakes is rare in the literature, but is of great relevance in the field of reptile conservation and environmental health. We describe congenital bone lesions in 50 newborn jararaca (Bothrops jararaca) and 26 South American rattlesnakes (Crotalus durissus terrificus) born from wild-caught pregnant females in Southeastern Brazil. Lesions were evaluated by morphometric quantitative analysis, x-ray microtomography, and histopathologic descriptive analysis. Morphometric analysis showed that jararaca presented more severe axial lesions (kyphosis, scoliosis, and kyphoscoliosis) than rattlesnakes. Female rattlesnakes presented more severe axial lesions than did males. In rattlesnakes, spinal deformities were more frequently diagnosed in the caudal segment of the body. We present x-ray microtomographic assessments and images of malformed snakes (n=9) and characterized novel malformations, such as the agenesis of frontal, parietal, and supraoccipital bones in a jararaca specimen. Histopathologic findings included vertebral body fusion, myositis, coagulation necrosis, and disorganization of periaxial muscle fibers. The new methods and results presented in this study will be useful and informative for future research in pathology, teratology, embryology, and ecotoxicology in snakes.

Meios de contraste iodado: propriedades físico-químicas e reações adversas

Os meios de contraste iodado sao substâncias que permitem a distincao de estruturas anatomicas com opacidadessimilares e, consequentemente, o detalhamento de orgaos internos durante procedimentos radiologicos.O crescente numero de procedimentos de tomografia computadorizada em pequenos animais temaumentado a exposicao dos pacientes a essas substâncias. Dessa forma, e imprescindivel que os profissionaisque lidam diretamente com o paciente durante a execucao do exame, bem como aqueles que o solicitam,estejam familiarizados com os diversos tipos de meios de contraste iodado, suas propriedades fisico--quimicas e possiveis reacoes adversas. O objetivo dessa revisao e abordar de forma simplificada conceitosrelacionados aos MCI e alertar para a possibilidade de ocorrencia dessas reacoes em pequenos animais,embora existam poucas informacoes relacionadas na literatura veterinaria.