Ocular tuberculosis in a calf.

Jacobo Carrisoza-Urbina,Mario A Bedolla-Alva,José A Gutiérrez-Pabello,Mireya Juárez-Ramírez

doi:10.1186/s12917-021-02893-y

Jacobo Carrisoza-Urbina, Mario A Bedolla-Alva + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-021-02893-y

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Abstract

BackgroundBovine tuberculosis is a chronic inflammatory disease that causes granuloma formation mainly in retropharyngeal, tracheobronchial, mediastinal lymph nodes and lungs of bovines. The presence of these lesions in other tissues such as the eyeball is very rare and difficult to diagnose. This study describes macroscopic and microscopic pathological findings in a calf with ocular and meningeal tuberculosis.Case presentationMarch 2019, an eight-month-old Holstein Friesian calf was identified in a dairy farm located in central Mexico with a clinical cough, anorexia, incoordination, corneal opacity and vision loss. At necropsy, pneumonia, lymphadenitis, meningitis, and granulomatous iridocyclitis were observed. The histopathological examination revealed granulomatous lesions in lung tissue, lymph nodes, meninges and eyes with the presence of acid-fast bacilli associated with Mycobacterium spp.ConclusionTo the best of our knowledge, this is the first report that describes macroscopic and microscopic pathological findings of ocular tuberculosis in cattle. This report highlights the importance of considering bovine tuberculosis in the differential diagnosis of corneal opacity and loss of vision in cattle.

Highlights

Bovine tuberculosis is a chronic inflammatory disease that causes granuloma formation mainly in retropharyngeal, tracheobronchial, mediastinal lymph nodes and lungs of bovines
This report highlights the importance of considering bovine tuberculosis in the differential diagnosis of corneal opacity and loss of vision in cattle
Among the species susceptible to tuberculosis are cattle affected by Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis) with a high prevalence in different parts of the world, showing similarities in immunopathology with tuberculosis in humans, which highlights the importance of this species as a model for studying ocular presentation [4,5,6,7,8]

Summary

Conclusion

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report that describes macroscopic and microscopic pathological findings of ocular tuberculosis in cattle.

Background

Findings

Discussion and conclusions