Maria Elisa Trost

Intoxicações por plantas e micotoxinas associadas a plantas em bovinos no Rio Grande do Sul: 461 casos

From 1990 to 2005, tissues from 2,912 cattle necropsies were examined at the Laboratory of Veterinary Pathology (LPV) of the Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM), Brazil. These tissues came from necropsies performed by faculty members of the LPV or were mailed-in samples from necropsy performed by veterinarian practitioners. In 461 (15.83%) of these necropsies the cause of death was attributed to the ingestion of poisonous plants. In decreasing order of frequency poisoning by the following plants were registered: Senecio spp (56.14%), Pteridium aquilinum (12.06%), Ateleia glazioviana (10.31%), Solanum fastigiatum (5.04%), Baccharis coridifolia (3.29%), Xanthium cavanillesii (3.07%), Senna occidentalis (2.63%), Ramaria flavo-brunnescens (2.41%), Amaranthus spp (2.19%), Vicia villosa (1.54%), Ipomoea batatas, Prunus sellowii, cytrus pulp (0.44% each), Cestrum parqui, Claviceps paspali, Claviceps purpurea, Brachiaria spp and Lantana sp (0.22% each). In a given outbreak the number of affected cattle was substantially higher than the number of necropsies performed. The following aspects are discussed for each plant: geographical distribution; factors inducing ingestion; morbidity, mortality and lethality rates, clinical signs, necropsy findings, histopathology. For those plants in which information on the active principle and pathogenesis are available, these aspects are included in the discussion.

Surto de pitiose cutânea em bovinos

Seventy-six young mixed breed cattle of both sexes, presented multifocal ulcerated nodular cutaneous lesions localized in the medial and lateral aspects of fore and hindlimbs, ventral neck, sternum, and tail. The disease occurred during summer and lesions were observed on areas of the body which were in contact with water of irrigation channels for long periods. Histologically, there were multiple granulomas and pyogranulomas with few negative profiles of hyphae, which were better visualized throughout Grocott methenamine silver stain. Definitive etiologic diagnosis was based on immuno-histochemistry with anti-Pythium insidiosum polyclonal antibody. Additionally, an indirect ELISA test was performed. Bovine cutaneous pythiosis outbreaks are uncommon and, particularly as occurred in the cattle of this report, all affected animals had spontaneous healing within two to three weeks.

A Comparative Study of the Histopathology and Immunohistochemistry of Pythiosis in Horses, Dogs and Cattle

Twenty-one cases of pythiosis in horses (n = 10), dogs (n = 9) and cattle (n = 2) were investigated. The aetiology in all cases was confirmed by immunohistochemistry. Data related to the clinical course and outcome and localization of the lesions were obtained from pathology reports. The equine lesions consisted of fibrotic tissue with multiple, often coalescing, areas of immature granulation tissue encircling eosinophilic cores. Affected dogs had gastrointestinal and/or cutaneous lesions with either or both of a granulomatous/pyogranulomatous or necrotizing eosinophilic inflammatory reaction. In cattle, cutaneous lesions were characterized by multifocal to coalescing granulomas with surrounding fibrosis. The number of intralesional hyphae, the distribution of hyphae, the presence of angioinvasion and the nature of the local inflammatory reactions were associated with the different types of lesions observed.

Aspectos clínicos, morfológicos e imuno-histoquímicos da pitiose gastrintestinal canina

Four suspect and two confirmed cases of gastrointestinal pythiosis were found in a retrospective study of biopsy and necropsy cases of dogs received in the Laboratorio de Patologia Veterinaria at the Universidade Federal de Santa Maria. The two diagnosed and published cases have had the etiology confirmed by culture and zoosporogenesis induction or by nested-PCR. On this study, the etiologic diagnosis of four suspect cases was confirmed by immunohistochemistry using anti-Pythium insidiosum policlonal antibody. Epidemiology, clinical signs, gross and microscopic lesions, histochemistry, immunohistochemistry, and differential diagnoses are reported and discussed.

Cenurose em ovinos no sul do Brasil: 16 casos

Neste trabalho sao descritos casos de doenca neurologica causada por Coenurus cerebralis em 16 ovinos provenientes de nove propriedades rurais do Rio Grande do Sul. Os casos ocorreram entre janeiro de 1990 e dezembro de 2006. A evolucao clinica variou de 30-90 dias e os ovinos afetados apresentavam depressao (9/16), isolamento do rebanho (8/16), andar cambaleante (7/16), cegueira (4/16), desvio da cabeca (3/16), incoordenacao (3/16), movimentos de pedalagem (2/16), quedas (2/16), andar em circulos, deficiencia proprioceptiva nos membros toracicos e pelvicos, estrabismo, midriase, opistotono, tremores e rigidez dos membros (1/16 cada). Os achados macroscopicos foram restritos ao sistema nervoso central e caracterizados por cistos de 2 a 9cm de diâmetro preenchidos por liquido translucido e revestidos por fina membrana. Na parte interna da membrana, havia numerosas estruturas levemente alongadas e brancas de aproximadamente 1mm de diâmetro (escolices). Na maioria dos ovinos, os cistos eram localizados no telencefalo (12/16); em tres, os cistos estavam no cerebelo e em um ovino havia um cisto no cerebelo e um na medula espinhal. Em todos os casos havia acentuada compressao e deslocamento do tecido nervoso adjacente aos cistos. Histologicamente, os cistos parasitarios eram formados por dupla membrana fracamente eosinofilica da qual evaginavam multiplos escolices esfericos acelomados. Adjacente a parede da vesicula eram observadas sucessivas camadas compostas por uma zona de necrose e mineralizacao, circundadas por infiltrado inflamatorio composto por macrofagos epitelioides e celulas gigantes multinucleadas, com uma capsula externa de tecido fibrovascular e infiltrado inflamatorio linfoistioplasmocitario perivascular. Adicionalmente, havia compressao e atrofia das substâncias branca e cinzenta adjacentes. O diagnostico de cenurose foi realizado com base nos achados epidemiologicos, clinicos e macroscopicos, e confirmado pela histopatologia.

Occurrence of tumours metastatic to bones and multicentric tumours with skeletal involvement in dogs.

The skeletons of 110 dogs with malignant tumours of different origins were examined by necropsy examination over a 3-year period to identify bone metastases. Twenty-one cases of metastatic or multicentric tumours with bone involvement were recorded. In general, more female dogs presented with bony metastases; however, when the dogs with mammary tumours were omitted, the gender distribution of the cases was approximately equivalent. The mammary gland was the primary site of most of the metastatic bone lesions, followed by the musculoskeletal system and the respiratory system. The majority (77%) of metastases were grossly visible and present in multiple bones. However, in 23% of the cases, the metastases could be diagnosed only at the microscopical level. The vertebrae and the humerus were the most frequently affected bones regardless of the primary site and the histogenesis of the tumours. The results of this study revealed a high prevalence of bone metastases and/or bone involvement in dogs with multicentric tumours.

Lesões do sistema urinário em 1.063 cães

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence, epidemiology, clinical significance, and possible associated causes of the urinary system lesions in dogs necropsied between January 1999 and December 2010 at the Laboratorio de Patologia Veterinaria of the Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (LPV-UFSM). To accomplish this, the necropsy reports were analyzed retrospectively. In this time frame, 3,189 dogs were necropsied and about 30% had lesions in the urinary system. In most of the dogs (79.1%), lesions were single and in about 21% they were multiple, totalizing 1,373 lesions. Out of them, 1,014 (73.8%) were observed in the kidney and 359 (26.2%) were in the lower urinary tract (LUT). One third of the lesions in the urinary system were causes of spontaneous death or reason for euthanasia (SD/EUTH) of the affected dogs. The other two third of the lesions were considered incidental findings. The main renal lesions diagnosed, in descending order of prevalence, were: tubulointerstitial nephritis, infarct, granulomatous nephritis (parasitary), glomerulonephritis, metastatic/multicentric neoplasms, pyelonephritis/pyelitis, and hydronephrosis. The main LUT lesions, in descending order of prevalence, were: cystitis, presence of viral inclusions bodies (morbillivirus), urolithiasis, urinary bladder dilatation, urinary bladder rupture (with uroperitoneum), and metastatic/multicentric neoplasms. Epidemiological aspects such as gender, breed, and age of affected dogs had expressive variations according to the type of lesion diagnosed. Uremia was observed in a significant number of cases of SD/EUTH and was mostly due to renal lesions.

Primary bone neoplasms in dogs: 90 cases

A retrospective study of necropsy and biopsy cases of 90 primary bone tumors (89 malignant and one benign) in dogs received over a period of 22 years at the Laboratorio de Patologia Veterinaria, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, was performed. Osteosarcoma was the most prevalent bone tumor, accounting for 86.7% of all malignant primary bone neoplasms diagnosed. Most cases occurred in dogs of large and giant breeds with ages between 6 and 10-years-old. The neoplasms involved mainly the appendicular skeleton, and were 3.5 times more prevalent in the forelimbs than in the hindlimbs. Osteoblastic osteosarcoma was the predominant histological subtype. Epidemiological and pathological findings of osteosarcomas are reported and discussed.

Neoplasmas do sistema urinário em 113 cães

Necropsy reports from 4,723 dogs examined from January 1990 to July 2010 in the Laboratorio de Patologia Veterinaria, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, were surveyed. The main purposes of this retrospective study were to establish the prevalence and types of neoplasms of the urinary system in dogs. Neoplasms of the urinary system were present in 113 (2.4%) dogs. Twenty seven were primary neoplasms and 86 were metastatic or part of a multicentric tumor. The majority of the primary neoplasms were of epithelial origin. Thirteen dogs had primary renal neoplasms (prevalence of 0.27% over all dogs necropsied in the studied period). Cystadenocarcinoma/cystadenoma and renal cell carcinoma were the most prevalent primary renal neoplasms and transitional cell carcinoma was the most prevalent urinary bladder neoplasm. Metastatic (64 cases) or multicentric (22 cases) tumors affecting the urinary system were the most prevalent (86 cases [76.1%]). Among them, mesenchymal tumors were more common than epithelial tumors. Out of the 86 cases, most of them were localized in the kidney. Metastases of mammary tumors and multicentric lymphoma were the most prevalent histologic types.

Acute myonecrosis in horse caused by Clostridium novyi type A

The objective of this study was to describe the first report involving a case of equine acute myonecrosis caused by C. novyi type A with an emphasis on clinical signs, the pathological and bacteriological analysis, and molecular identification of the microorganisms as the key of the definitive diagnosis.