ULTRASONOGRAPHIC DIAGNOSIS OF HYDRONEPHROSIS IN A COW

A ruptured right kidney was diagnosed in a cow with clinical signs of mild intermittent abdominal pain and no laboratory evidence of renal failure. Ultrasonography of the kidneys demonstrated unilateral hydronephrosis and retroperitoneal fluid. A unilateral nephrectomy using a staple instrument was performed. Ultrasonographic evaluation allowed an early and accurate diagnosis with subsequent successful surgical intervention and treatment.     

Rhabdomyosarcoma in 8 horses

This multi-institutional report describes 8 cases of rhabdomyosarcoma in horses. Four neoplasms were in the tongue and other areas of the mouth or head, 2 were in the abdominal wall, and 1 each was in right shoulder muscles and heart. Four rhabdomyosarcomas that were less than 10 cm in diameter were treated by surgical excision or radiation with no recurrence. Two neoplasms greater than 10 cm in diameter in the abdominal wall and the right shoulder were considered inoperable and led to decisions to euthanize the horses. Two neoplasms were incidental findings at necropsy. All the neoplasms were classified as embryonal except for 1 pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma. These 8 cases were evaluated with 9 published case reports of equine rhabdomyosarcoma. For all cases, the most common sites were limb muscles (5/17) and tongue (4/17). Metastasis was reported in 4 of the previously published cases; none was found in this study.     

A thymic carcinoid in a Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris).

An 18-yr-old Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris) presented with acute onset hind limb paresis. Radiographic and ultrasonographic imaging revealed a caudal abdominal aortic thrombus and a cranial mediastinal mass. Necropsy confirmed aortic thrombosis. Necrotizing enteritis and multifocal renal thrombosis were also noted. The cranial mediastinum contained a bilobed mass that histologically and ultrastructurally was consistent with a carcinoid.     

Effects of 4-ipomeanol on bovine parainfluenza type 3 virus-induced pneumonia in calves.

Previous research has demonstrated that 4-ipomeanol toxicosis can enhance the severity of para-influenza virus-induced pneumonia in mice. The objectives of this study were to determine whether calves are susceptible to 4-ipomeanol-induced enhancement of parainfluenza type 3 viral pneumonia and to determine whether 4-ipomeanol alters pulmonary replication of parainfluenza virus. Male Holstein calves were injected with either 4-ipomeanol (3 mg/kg) or vehicle (polyethylene glycol) 3 days prior to intratracheal inoculation with either parainfluenza virus or sham inoculum of culture medium. Calves in the four treatment groups (ipomeanol-parainfluenza, ipomeanol-medium, vehicle-parainfluenza, and vehicle-medium) were necropsied at 5 days after inoculation with parainfluenza virus or medium. The lungs were studied by correlated methods of light and electron microscopy, digitizing morphometry and pulmonary lavage to quantitate the severity of pneumonia. Pulmonary viral titers were determined, and viral antigen was identified in the lung by immunoperoxidase technique. The calves in the ipomeanol-virus treatment group had over a 9-fold higher (P less than 0.05) volume density of virus-induced interstitial pneumonia than did the calves in the other three treatment groups. This 4-ipomeanol-enhanced viral pneumonia was associated with significantly greater (P less than 0.05) numbers of pulmonary macrophages and neutrophils in the lavage fluid and higher (P less than 0.05) pulmonary titers of pulmonary infectious parainfluenza virus. Four-ipomeanol-enhanced viral pneumonia was characterized in part by extensive hyperplasia of type II alveolar epithelial cells and by dense aggregates of macrophages and neutrophils in alveolar spaces and interalveolar septa. The results indicate that 4-ipomeanol exacerbates interstitial pneumonia in calves induced by bovine parainfluenza type 3 virus.     

The role of proteases in 4-ipomeanol-induced enhancement of Sendai viral pneumonia in mice

The ability of reconstituted, concentrated lyophilized lavage fluid to activate noninfectious Sendai virus (NISV) in vitro was examined. Lavage fluid was obtained from 4-ipomeanol (4-IP)-injured lungs at 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 13 days after treatment, and 1, 7, and 13 days after sham treatment (controls). Significantly higher viral titers were obtained using lavage fluid collected 1 day after 4-IP treatment. Higher protein concentrations were present in lavage fluid obtained at day 1 and 3 after 4-IP treatment. It is concluded that local viral-activating protease concentrations resulting from 4-IP-induced pulmonary injury is a likely microenvironmental modulator of paramyxoviral replication and can play an important role in paramyxoviral-induced lung injury.