Infertility associated with the absence of endometrial progesterone receptors in a bitch

A three‐year‐old intact female Old English sheepdog was presented for evaluation of infertility. A uterine biopsy was performed during dioestrus, and the microscopic appearance was inconsistent with progesterone stimulation; the glands were sparse, simple and failed to show coiling, while the glandular epithelium was cuboidal instead of columnar. There was very little evidence of glandular activity. Due to the inappropriate appearance of the glands for the stage of the cycle, immunohistochemistry for progesterone receptors was performed. No progesterone receptor‐positive immunoreactivity was identified in the endometrial luminal epithelium, glandular epithelium or stroma. Weak intranuclear immunoreactivity was identified within the smooth muscle cells of the myometrium. The absence of progesterone receptors within the endometrial glands is the most likely explanation for the abnormal appearance of the endometrium and for this bitch's infertility. To our knowledge, this is the first report of endometrial progesterone receptor absence in a bitch.     

Surgical removal of a choroid plexus oncocytoma in an adult cat

An 11‐year‐old male castrated domestic shorthair cat presented with left central vestibular dysfunction. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain revealed a large, extra‐parenchymal, strongly contrast‐enhancing mass at the level of the left cerebellopontine angle and compressing the cerebellum and brainstem. The mass was surgically excised via left rostral and sub‐tentorial craniectomies and histopathology revealed an epithelial neoplasm composed of anastomosing cords of neoplastic cells that contained large amounts of finely granular hypereosinophilic cytoplasm and round nuclei. The cytoplasmic granules were variably positive with periodic acid‐Schiff and modified Gomori trichrome. Immunohistochemical staining with anti‐cytokeratin AE1/AE3 was diffusely positive. Electron microscopy revealed neoplastic cells that were full of electron‐dense organelles consistent with mitochondria. This is the first case of a choroid plexus oncocytoma in the central nervous system of any domestic animal species and highlights the role of successful surgical intervention in extra‐parenchymal neoplasia in the central nervous system.     

Trypanosomiasis challenge estimation using the diminazene aceturate (Berenil) index in Zebu in Gabon

A longitudinal study was conducted within a cattle ranch in Gabon to determine the diminazene aceturate (Berenil) index (DAI) in a group of Zebu, raised under low tsetse density; this measure providing an assessment of trypanosomiasis risk. The objective was to evaluate the trypanosomiasis pressure thus informing trypanosomiasis control methods and cattle management. Twenty female adult Zebu were monitored for 24 weeks during the dry season. Blood samples were collected on a weekly basis and subjected to parasitological and haematological analysis (n?=?480), using the buffy-coat method and the packed cell volume value (PCV), respectively, infected animals were treated with a single intramuscular injection of diminazene aceturate (8 mg/kg). Twenty-nine single infectious events were recorded and a DAI of 1.45 was calculated. Two trypanosome species were identified: Trypanosoma congolense (96.2%) and Trypanosoma vivax (3.8%). The mean PCV value of the infected animals was lower (26.6) compared to non-infected animals (32.0). This study shows that DAI may be a useful tool to assess trypanosomiasis. However, this is a time-consuming method that may be improved by using randomly selected sentinel animals to adapt the chemoprophylactic schemes, hence decreasing the costs and the drug resistance risk.