Reconstruction of the lower eyelid by third eyelid lateral advancement and local transposition cutaneous flap after "en bloc" resection of squamous cell carcinoma in 5 cats

OBJECTIVE: To describe a novel technique for blepharoplasty to cover a tissue defect involving >/=50% of the lower eyelid. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective clinical study. ANIMALS: Five cats with lower eyelid squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). METHODS: En bloc resection of SCC by removing >/=50% of the lower lid with either the medial or lateral canthus was performed without other adjunctive treatment for SCC. The lid defect was reconstructed with a transposition skin flap derived from the frontal (medial defect) or temporal (lateral defect) region. The third eyelid was advanced laterally without dissection from its insertion; its outer conjunctival layer was removed, and the skin flap was sutured with single interrupted sutures dorsally over the nictitating membrane, ventrally to the cutaneous edge of the surgical wound and medially or laterally (depending on the canthus removed) to the skin of the remaining lower lid. RESULTS: Satisfactory cosmetic and functional results were achieved and the Schirmer tear tests were normal. In 2 cats, the skin flap needed monthly hair trimming to avoid corneal lesions. CONCLUSIONS: After en bloc resection of SCC involving >/=50% of the lower eyelid, reconstruction can be achieved by relocation of the third eyelid and use of a cutaneous transposition flap sutured to the scarified external surface of the third eyelid. Eyelid apposition and lacrimal function were preserved. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Blepharoplasty using a cutaneous transposition flap sutured to the scarified surface of a relocated third eyelid should be considered for reconstruction of lower eyelid defects with >/=50% tissue loss of the lid margin.     

A potential early clinical phenotype of necrotizing meningoencephalitis in genetically at‐risk pug dogs

BackgroundNecrotizing meningoencephalitis (NME) in the pug dogs is a fatal neuroinflammatory disease associated with rapid progression and poor response to conventional immunosuppressive therapy. Diagnosis is typically made after severe neurological abnormalities have manifested.Hypothesis/ObjectivePug dogs at genetic risk for NME might manifest neurological abnormalities before developing pathognomonic clinical signs of NME.AnimalsThirty‐six pug dogs less than 4 years of age asymptomatic for NME.MethodsProspective observational cohort study with germline genome‐wide genotyping. Neurological examinations were performed 4 weeks apart to document reproducible findings of central nervous system disease. Magnetic resonance imaging, cerebrospinal fluid analysis, and testing for infectious diseases were performed in all pugs with reproducible abnormalities detected on neurological examination.ResultsThe overall risk allele frequency in this cohort was 40%; 5 (14%) dogs were high risk, 19 (53%) dogs were medium risk, and 12 (33%) dogs were low genetic risk for NME. Reproducible abnormalities detected on neurological examination were identified in 8/24 (33%) genetically at‐risk dogs and 0/12 (0%) low risk dogs. Clinical abnormalities included multifocal spinal pain in 8/8, reduced menace response in 5/8, and lateralizing postural reaction deficits in 5/8 pugs. There was a strong association between genotype risk and the presence of this clinical phenotype (P = .03).Conclusions and Clinical ImportanceOur findings suggest the presence of a novel early clinical phenotype of NME in apparently asymptomatic genetically at‐risk pugs which might be used to plan early diagnostic and therapeutic clinical trials.     

Concentration of Fe, Fe-binding capacity, Cu and Zn in the plasma of piglets before and after oral administration of iron sulfate solution]

In piglets, the influence of the ingestion of Fe-enriched faeces, of the oral application of Fe-dextran (containing 150, 200 or 250 mg Fe) up to the 8th hour as well as the intramuscular injection of Fe-dextran (150 mg Fe) on the 2nd and 3rd day after birth on Fe-resorption was analysed. On the 5th to the 7th and on the 12th to the 14th day after birth the highest increase in the Fe-concentration and the highest values of the Fe-binding capacity of the plasma after the oral application of a solution of Fe-sulphate (containing 20 mg Fe/kg body weight) were confirmed in the piglets with the ingestion of Fe-enriched faeces and in the control piglets without Fe-supplementation. The increase of the iron concentration in the plasma induced a decrease in the concentration of Cu in some cases and of Zn in the plasma in most cases. The biggest increase in body weight was established in the piglets that ingested Fe-enriched faeces.     

Toxicity potential of absorbed-retained ethylene oxide residues in culture dishes on embryo development in vitro

Four hundred eight-cell mouse embryos were cultured in vitro in either polystyrene (plastic) dishes (Exp. 1) or watch glasses (Exp. 2) to analyze the toxicity potential of absorbed-retained ethylene oxide (EtO). Culture dishes were gas-sterilized with Anprolene equipment and allowed to aerate (21 C) for varying durations. Post-sterilization EtO residues, as determined by weight measurement, were eluted from polystyrene dishes at an exponential rate. After 1 wk of aeration, .625 mg EtO was retained/g of polystyrene product. To determine the effect of EtO residue on in vitro culture, embryos were collected from superovulated donor mice (C57BL/6N), pooled in a modified Dulbecco's phosphate buffered saline (PBI) medium and then randomly allotted to dishes subjected to various aeration durations. Embryos were cultured in Whitten's medium +3 mg/ml bovine serum albumin (BSA) under a humidified 5% CO2 in air atmosphere at 37 C. Gross assessments of embryo development were made using standard morphology and quality grading systems and a fluorescein diacetate staining assay. In Exp. 1, embryo development was retarded at the 8- to 16-cell stage when less than or equal to 12 h aeration of polystyrene dishes was permitted. Aeration for 24 and 36 h resulted in suboptimal embryo development with fewer (P less than .01) blastocysts and greater degeneration rates at 48 h of in vitro culture compared with the control (manufacturer-packaged dishes, no EtO) and 1-wk aeration treatment groups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Chicken egg antibodies for prophylaxis and therapy of infectious intestinal diseases. V. In vivo studies on protective effects against Escherichia coli diarrhea in pigs

A field study and a controlled infection trial showed the protective effect of egg yolk lyophilisate and whole egg lyophilisate against enterotoxic E. coli germs. The lyophilisates were gained from eggs of hens immunized against pilus antigen of porcine-enterotoxic E. coli. In a first field study using egg yolk antibodies, 92% of 299 diarrhea affected piglets were cured. In a further field study diarrhea affected piglets were cured after 3 days by application of egg yolk lyophilisate from immunized hens. Piglets treated only with egg yolk of not immunized hens showed no signs of recovery. The infection trial showed, that whole egg lyophilisate of immunized hens was as successful as a common antibiotic therapy in curing piglets, orally infected with 5 x 10(10) E. coli/feeding and animal. The present data show that chicken egg antibodies can be used for treatment of infectious diarrheal diseases in young animals. So far they represent a good alternative to the common used antibiotic therapy.     

Extraction of an infected tusk in an adult African elephant

An 18-year-old African elephant was determined to have a nonrepairable crack in its left tusk. Treatment included extraction of the tusk, using rotational and extractional forces, and administration of antibiotics, followed by 1 year of flushing the opened tusk cavity with warm tap water. Two years after surgery, the elephant was healthy, and the tusk cavity was 80% filled with normal tissue.     

Antigenic cross-reactions between Mycoplasma arthritidis and rat tissues

An antigenic relationship between Mycoplasma arthritidis and rat tissues could be demonstrated using the enzyme-immune assay and the agar gel double diffusion test. Cross-reactions were observed with joint homogenates as well as with muscle, lung, liver, kidney, spleen and brain tissue from rats. In addition, antibodies against joint homogenate were found in the sera of rats infected with M. arthritidis ISR 1 using the indirect hemagglutination test. The significance of common antigens between M. arthritidis and rat tissues for the pathogenesis of the M. arthritidis polyarthritis in rats is discussed.