This report presents the most important clinical and morphological aspects of the so-called “Perosomus Elumbis”, a congenital vertebral malformation of calves characterized by the segmental lack of vertebrae caudal to the thoracic spine. The etiology has to be defined, but inheritance is suspected. The report is based on seven calves (five Holstein, one Brown and 1 cross breed) examined at the Veterinary Clinical Department of the University of Bologna (BO66/04; BO107/04; BO46/06; BO107/06; BO290/08) or at the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences of Padua (PD34/04; PD66/04). All animals appeared bright and alert at birth, but were completely unable to stand up or to maintain quadrupedal stance if raised manually. The seven calves, ranging from one to 15 days of age, were euthanized on the first day of hospitalization. Although having individual clinical presentation, the disorder was morphologically characterized by partial or complete segmental absence of vertebra, mostly of the lumbar and sacral segments. The tail was always missing. As a consequence of the vertebral malformation, the animals’ trunks were shorter than normal, and the posterior part of the body was clearly underdeveloped. More precisely, the girdle showed a reduction in size and width whereas the hind limbs were shorter with evident muscular hypoplasia. In some cases, due to the lack of vertebrae, the hind limbs were attached to the caudal aspect of the thorax by soft tissue only. On the contrary, the anterior half of the body - from the caudal part of the thorax - was normal. Radiological examination clearly demonstrated the skeletal malformation including the lack of vertebrae. Internal organ malformations, such as intestinal atresia, hydronephrosis, testicular agenesia, uterine and vaginal malformations as well as concentric cardiac hypertrophy were also observed in some animals. In the context of general scientific interest in genetic diseases of cattle, the Authors suspect Perosomus Elumbis to be a potential inherited disease. However, the reported cases studies did not provide evidence for this hypothesis. Identification of clinical cases and reports of malformed calves are necessary to improve the knowledge of this defect.
Perosomus Elumbis in calves / Testoni S.; Agerholm J.S.; Gentile A.. - In: FOLIA VETERINARIA. - ISSN 0015-5748. - STAMPA. - 53 (supplementum):(2009), pp. 32-33.
Perosomus Elumbis in calves
GENTILE, ARCANGELO
2009
Abstract
This report presents the most important clinical and morphological aspects of the so-called “Perosomus Elumbis”, a congenital vertebral malformation of calves characterized by the segmental lack of vertebrae caudal to the thoracic spine. The etiology has to be defined, but inheritance is suspected. The report is based on seven calves (five Holstein, one Brown and 1 cross breed) examined at the Veterinary Clinical Department of the University of Bologna (BO66/04; BO107/04; BO46/06; BO107/06; BO290/08) or at the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences of Padua (PD34/04; PD66/04). All animals appeared bright and alert at birth, but were completely unable to stand up or to maintain quadrupedal stance if raised manually. The seven calves, ranging from one to 15 days of age, were euthanized on the first day of hospitalization. Although having individual clinical presentation, the disorder was morphologically characterized by partial or complete segmental absence of vertebra, mostly of the lumbar and sacral segments. The tail was always missing. As a consequence of the vertebral malformation, the animals’ trunks were shorter than normal, and the posterior part of the body was clearly underdeveloped. More precisely, the girdle showed a reduction in size and width whereas the hind limbs were shorter with evident muscular hypoplasia. In some cases, due to the lack of vertebrae, the hind limbs were attached to the caudal aspect of the thorax by soft tissue only. On the contrary, the anterior half of the body - from the caudal part of the thorax - was normal. Radiological examination clearly demonstrated the skeletal malformation including the lack of vertebrae. Internal organ malformations, such as intestinal atresia, hydronephrosis, testicular agenesia, uterine and vaginal malformations as well as concentric cardiac hypertrophy were also observed in some animals. In the context of general scientific interest in genetic diseases of cattle, the Authors suspect Perosomus Elumbis to be a potential inherited disease. However, the reported cases studies did not provide evidence for this hypothesis. Identification of clinical cases and reports of malformed calves are necessary to improve the knowledge of this defect.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
