Ileoileal intussusception associated with coccidiosis in sheep

Postmortem examination of a 3-year-old male Iranian native sheep with a history of anorexia and severe colic, revealed an intussusception of the small intestine, 30 cm proximal to the ileocaecal junction. Scattered hyperplastic lesions were present in the jejunal and ileal mucosa especially in intussuscipien. Microscopic examination of these lesions showed severe papillary hyperplasia of the epithelium associated with developmental stages of coccidia in the epithelial cells. An unusual type of intussusception and the presence of the proliferative nodular form of coccidiosis in the intestinal wall of intussuscipien suggested that coccidiosis could be considered as the possible cause of the problem.