Ventral Abdominal Region Research Articles

Computed tomographic findings of the gastrointestinal tract in rabbits

Gastrointestinal (GI) diseases are common in rabbits. Although diagnostic imaging studies can assist clinicians in selecting therapeutic approaches, there are few reports of advanced imaging findings in normal rabbits. Computed tomography (CT) is recognized as a useful tool in dogs and cats, but there are few reports of normal findings on multidetector computed tomography (MDTC) in rabbits. The goals of this study are to describe the CT anatomic imaging appearance of the GI tract and their normal variation in healthy pet rabbits and to obtain the normal wall thickness measurements of normal GI tract structures. Twenty-three rabbits were scanned under general anesthesia and the CT abdominal images were analyzed by two experienced radiologists. Location and size of the major GI organs and structures were determined, and wall thickness of the stomach, small and large intestines were measured, including the interobserver agreement. Statistical analysis of quantitative and qualitative variables was performed. Wall thickness values were established for the different parts of the stomach (cardia: 3.4 ± 0.4mm; fundus: 1.4 ± 0.2mm; body: 1.4 ± 0.1mm; pylorus : 2.9 ± 0.5mm), small intestines (duodenum: 1.4 ± 0.1mm; jejunum : 1.2 ± 0.1mm; ileum: 1.4 ± 0.1mm), and large intestines (cecum: 1.2 ± 0.1mm; colon ascending: 1.4 ± 0.3 mm and descending: 1.3 ± 0.3mm). When distended the stomach did not extend beyond the caudal limits of the L2 vertebra . The cecum occupied the ventral abdominal region from T12/T13 to L7/S1, the sacculus rotundus was identified in 11 of the 23 rabbits. The sacculus rotundus and vermiform cecal appendix were identified only in rabbits with mild large intestinal distension. It was possible to use CT to evaluate the different portions of the GI tract that are not normally readily visible on radiographs and ultrasound (US). Normal wall thickness values of the different portion of the GI tract were stablished. These results provide new and important reference values for CT studies in normal pet rabbits and provide data for further studies in rabbits with GI diseases.

Evaluation of platelet-rich plasma gel as an angiogenesis-inducing agent in canineadvancement skin flaps

ABSTRACT: This work aimed to evaluate the effect of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) on advancement skin flaps in dogs regarding improvement of vascularization, with focus on increasing its viable area, since there are reports that it is a potential angiogenesis stimulator. The experimental group was composed of eight adult bitches, in which two advancement skin flaps were made in the ventral abdominal region. No product was applied in the control flap (CF), while PRP was used in the contralateral flap, called treated flap (TF). The areas were clinically evaluated every two days until the 7th postoperative day regarding skin color and presence of necrosis. At 10 days, both flaps were removed and submitted to histological examination and blood vessel morphometry. The vessels counted in each group were statistically analyzed by the F-test at 1% probability. Results showed no significant difference in macroscopic changes in the wound, or CF and TF vascularization, thus suggesting that PRP gel did not improve advancement skin flap angiogenesis in bitches under the experimental conditions in which this research was developed.

Carcinoma de células escamosas em gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus)

The Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus), also known as Mongolian jird, is a rodent of the family Cricetidae. One of its most noticeable anatomical characteristics is the presence of ventral and dorsal scent glands, the former located in the abdominal region. The present study aimed at describing an incidence of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the ventral scent gland in the species. A two‑year‑old animal characterized by an increased volume in the ventral abdominal region was treated at the Veterinary Hospital. After evaluating the macro- and microscopic characteristics of the mass tissue, a diagnosis of SCC could be confirmed. However, further studies on the physiology of neoplasms in Mongolian gerbils are needed in order to promote the well-being and longevity of individuals. Hormonal dysfunction of sexual origin is likely the most common factor associated with the occurrence of this type of neoplasm in the species.

Pulmonary Hypoplasia Associated with Ascites and Hydrothorax in a Newborn Pig

Background: Pulmonary hypoplasia is characterized by incomplete development of the lungs, owing to congenital defectsor the action of toxic substances. Moreover, it has rarely been described in pigs. Ascites or hydroperitoneum is characterized by the presence of fluid inside the abdominal cavity and does not generally cause changes in the abdominal organs. However, hydrothorax, characterized by the presence of fluid within the thoracic cavity, is responsible for the compression of thoracic organs and consequent heart and respiratory failure. This study aims to describe a case of congenital pulmonary hypoplasia associated with ascites and hydrothorax in a newborn pig.Case: A male neonate Landrace pig that died shortly after delivery was presented for necropsy with increased abdominal volume and bilateral extension of the pelvic limbs. The pig belonged to a litter of 13 piglets, four of which died shortly after birth. The rest of the piglets were poorly developed, but only one was presented for necropsy. Significant external changes, along with permanent distension, interpreted as arthrogriposis, were observed in the pelvic limbs. The skin of the ventral abdominal region was thin, with evidence of all blood vessels, interpreted as telangectasis. An internal examination revealed the presence of a slightly yellowish liquid in the thoracic and abdominal cavities, interpreted as hydrothorax and ascites, respectively. The lungs were reduced in size, indicating pulmonary hypoplasia. The liver had rounded edges, which were dark red and firm, with an irregular surface. Significant microscopic findings were observed in the lungs, which were divided by fibrous connective tissue and showed evidence of small and atrophied alveoli. Furthermore, connective tissue was observed around the peribronchiolar regions and underdeveloped cartilage around the airways. The liver showed dilation of the centrilobular veins. Moreover, the sinusoids were filled with erythrocytes, indicating congestion.Discussion: Pulmonary hypoplasia is a rare birth defect in pigs and can be accompanied by malformations of other organs, including anasarca. Pulmonary hypoplasia is caused by conditions that compress the lungs, such as congenital diaphragmatic hernia, intrathoracic masses, and pleural effusion or malformations in the chest cavity. However, none of these conditions were observed in the current case. Instead, the histopathological changes observed in the lungs were characteristic of pulmonary hypoplasia. A microscopic examination revealed that the hypoplastic lungs showed a reduced number of alveoli, replacement of the peribronchiolar smooth muscle by the connective tissue, and underdeveloped cartilage around the airways, all of which are characteristic of pulmonary hypoplasia. Vascular telangiectasia is characterized by abdominal distention due to a marked ascitic condition. Invariably, ascitic fluid accumulation results from changes in hydrodynamic parameters. The hydrothorax observed in this animal was suggestive of changes in the hydrodynamic parameters, which consequently led to fluid accumulation in the chest cavity. This has been previously described in a newborn pig infected with Clostridium difficile. The permanently and bilaterally extended pelvic joints observed at birth in this animal were interpreted as arthrogriposis. This change is attributed to various factors, such as fetal paralysis in pigs that ingest toxic substances like alkaloids present in Conium maculatum and in the stalks of Nicotiana tabacum and Datura stramunium. The literature describes pelvic limb paralysis in Landrace pigs as a genetically inherited disorder. However, it was not possible for us to establish the cause of arthrogriposis for certain in this pig.

Canine Fetal Peritonitis

Background: The occurrence of neonatal diseases and neonatal deaths in canines are considered higher in the first days of life of individuals and bacterial diseases are considered the second most common cause. Inflammation of the mesothelial lining of the abdominal cavity is referred peritonitis, which can be classified as primary or secondary and there is no description on the occurrence of canine fetal peritonitis in the veterinary literature. The objective of this study is to describe a case of canine fetus peritonitis, presenting abnormal sonographic findings of the fetus and abnormalities identified after birth that were not yet described in veterinary literature.Case: A female Poodle, six years of age, considered healthy and without clinical complications during the gestational period, was referred for sonographic evaluation at the end of the pregnancy, in order to evaluate of the fetal viability and estimate the gestational period. By ultrasound examination, two canine fetuses were identified and based on its morphogenesis and biparietal diameter, the estimated gestational age was approximately 58 days. On the individual examination of each of the fetus by ultrasound, it was found that one of them had normal sonographic findings and on the second canine fetus it was found an increase of the intra-abdominal echogenicity of tissues, loss of the sonographic definition of the intestinal loops and presence of laminar anechoic areas between the interfaces of organs, consistent with abdominal effusion. Parturition occurred the following day of the ultrasound examination no complications and with the birth of two canine fetuses. About six hours after birth, one of the neonates showed dyspnea, hypothermia, areas of ecchymosis, suffusion in the ventral abdominal region, icteric and pale mucous membrane and the presence of abdominal fluid and came to death about 30 min after. Cytological analysis of the sample revealed exuberant amount of erythrocytes, fibrin and leukocytes. Culture revealed infection by Staphylococccus aureus and Enterococcus sp. Presence of bloody fluid in the abdominal cavity was observed at necropsy, with yellowish parietal surface of the thoracic and abdominal cavities and petechiae on the lungs, heart, stomach surfaces and intestinal mucous membrane. Microscopically, the lungs showed extensive areas of parenchymal consolidation, vascular congestion and intense inflammatory infiltrate in the alveolar wall; the liver was characterized by vascular congestion, areas of degeneration of hepatocytes and presence of calcified foci, necrosis and inflammatory infiltrates. Associating the results and findings of the exams was possible to conclude the diagnostic of fetal peritonitis.Discussion: The visualization of abnormal findings in affected fetus by a gestational ultrasound exam makes this report inedited and relevant for veterinary obstetrics. This demonstrates the importance of ultrasound exam in pregnant bitches for early detection of maternal fetal diseases. Presence of abdominal fluid and increased mesenteric ochogenicity associated with loss of the intestinal loop definition corroborates with the clinical suspicion of peritonitis in fetus. Findings on the anatomopathological examination, cytology and culture allowed conclusion of the cause of death. Bacterial forms in the cytological smear supported the diagnostic suspicion of peritonitis. Gestational ultrasound exam performed in this report was essential for proper conduct of the pregnant bitch and viability of the fetuses, suggesting that the detected fetal abnormalities showed predictive value in the viability of diseased individual. This case report contributes with the description of canine fetal peritonitis.

Multiorgan fungal infection caused by Microsporum canis in a green iguana (Iguana iguana).

Multiple organ invasion by keratinophilic fungi in the green iguana (Iguana iguana) has not been previously reported. In this case, a 1-yr-old female green iguana presented with a nodular, darkly discolored skin lesion surrounded by necrosis in the right ventral abdominal region. A cytologic examination of the fine needle aspiration of the lesion revealed an exuberant proliferation of fibroblasts, macrophages, and multinucleated cells along with frequent filamentous structures consistent with hyphal elements. The necropsy revealed diffuse infiltration of the liver, lung, and cardiac apex with white nodules. A histopathologic examination of the lesions also confirmed a fungal infection associated with granulomatous inflammation. Rapid polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis of the chitin synthase 1 gene was conducted for rapid direct detection, and inter-simple sequence repeat fingerprinting was conducted to classify the infectious origin. The PCR analysis definitively demonstrated representative Microsporum canis fungus. The present report is the first case of disseminated M. canis infection with multiorgan involvement in a green iguana.

The examination of biophysical parameters of skin (transepidermal water loss, skin hydration and pH value) in different body regions of normal cats of both sexes

The purpose of this study was to evaluate transepidermal water loss (TEWL), skin hydration and skin pH in normal cats. Twenty shorthaired European cats of both sexes were examined in the study. Measurements were taken from five different sites: the lumbar region, the axillary fossa, the inguinal region, the ventral abdominal region and the left thoracic region. In each of the regions, TEWL, skin hydration and skin pH were measured. The highest TEWL value was observed in the axillary fossa (18.22g/h/m(2)) and the lowest in the lumbar region (10.53g/h/m(2)). The highest skin hydration was found in the inguinal region (18.29CU) and the lowest in the lumbar region (4.62CU). The highest skin pH was observed in the inguinal region (6.64) and the lowest in the lumbar region (6.39). Statistically significant differences in TEWL were observed between the lumbar region and the left side of the thorax region (P=0.016), the axillary fossa (P=0.0004), the ventral region (P=0.005), and the inguinal region (P=0.009). There were significant differences in skin hydration between the lumbar region and the left thorax (P=0.000003), the axillary fossa (P=0.002), the ventral abdomen (P=0.03), and the inguinal region (P=0.0003) as well as between the thorax and the ventral abdomen (P=0.005). TEWL was higher in females (15g/h/m(2)) than in males (4.57g/h/m(2)). Skin hydration was higher in females (13.89CU) than in males (12.28CU). Significant differences were not found between males and females for TEWL and skin hydration. Skin pH was higher in males (6.94) than in females (6.54), which was significant (P=0.004).

Mionecrose aguda por Clostridium septicum em equinos

Descrevem-se dois casos de miosite necrosante causada por Clostridium septicum em equinos. Os dois equinos apresentavam aumento de volume no membro pélvico direito e que se estendia para a região abdominal ventral. Ao corte, essa área era formada por edema sanguinolento e bolhas de gás. Os músculos esqueléticos da região caudal da coxa apresentavam áreas vermelho-escuras, crepitantes, com edema sanguinolento e, ao corte, as áreas mais profundas da musculatura tinham aspecto seco. As principais alterações histopatológicas observadas foram tumefação, vacuolização, necrose hialina e necrose flocular de fibras musculares esqueléticas. Entre as fibras, havia hemorragia, edema e grande quantidade de bacilos com tamanho de 3-6μm. Na coloração de Gram, os bacilos se apresentavam roxos (gram-positivos); quando impregnados pela prata (Warthin-Starry), se mostraram enegrecidos. Nos dois casos, C. septicum foi isolado, em ambiente anaeróbio, do líquido de edema das lesões musculares.

Hair Whorls in the Dog (Canis familiaris). I. Distribution

Hair whorl characteristics were assessed in the domestic dog (Canis familiaris) in the regions of cephalic, cervical (dorsal, ventral, and lateral), thoracic and brachial axillary regions, the chest, shoulders, elbows, ventral abdominal region, and on the caudal thighs (ischiatic). They were classified as simple or tufted, and their position was recorded as the distance between their centers and bony landmarks within each region. The distribution of whorls was explored in a cohort of domestic dogs (N = 120) comprising a variety of breeds and cross-breeds, sourced from shelters (N = 60) and the general public (N = 60). Whorls observed in the majority of dogs in this cohort typically occurred on the chest, brachial axillary region, elbows, and ischiatic region. Atypical whorls were present in fewer than 20% of the population, and included those on the head (cephalic), cervical regions (dorsal, ventral, and lateral), shoulders, thoracic axillary region, and on the ventral abdominal region. The majority of whorls on dogs were classified as simple. In contrast, those located on the elbows and the majority of chest whorls were tufted. The presence and position of whorls were often associated with several variables including coat length and thickness, and the sex and source of the dog. The palpation and hair-cluster method of whorl assessment described in this article is best suited to dogs with short-to-medium coat lengths. The current methodology developed to assess hair whorl characteristics provides a framework for future investigations into any associations between hair whorl characteristics and other canine traits such as temperament.

Abdominal ventral hernia in a pigeon (Columba livia): a case report

Reports of abdominal hernias in birds are often not clearly described. Abdominal hernias have been characterized as a separation in the aponeurosis of the abdominal musculature on the ventral midline. In this article one case of abdominal hernia is described. A painless, reducibile swelling was located in the ventral abdominal region close to the cloaca. Surgical repair was performed because the bird was stable clinically and an hernioraphy was indicated. A ventral midline celiotomy was performed. For repair of the abdominal hernia the abdominal muscles and skin were sutured in a standard two-layer closure using a simple continuous suture pattern. This procedure is safe and uncomplicated and this approach can be recommended as a curative method for abdominal hernia repair.

Ultrasonographic examination of the abomasum of 50 cows

The purpose of this study was to determine the position, appearance and dimensions of the abomasum of 50 healthy 4 cows by ultrasonography. The ventral abdominal region caudal to the...

Canine model for microvascular reconstruction of the larynx.

The experimental use of jejunal free grafts with microvascular anastomosis in the head and neck region has been reported in pharyngeal and esophageal reconstruction. Lack of a suitable animal model has limited basic research for cutaneous or myocutaneous microvascular techniques. This investigation upon appropriate graft sites in the canine was instituted. Following a vertical hemilaryngectomy, reconstruction of the laryngeal defect was accomplished by transferring 2.5 to 3.5 centimeters square of a free myocutaneous graft from the caudal ventral abdominal region. The skin surface of the graft was placed inward to reline the laryngeal lumen. The epigastric artery and vein attached to the free graft were anastomosed to the superior thyroid or laryngeal artery or vein. Four of the six animals survived the procedure. All animals which survived the surgery showed excellent preservation of the airway lumen, pseudocord formation, and viability of the graft.

Modifications of the haemogramme of larval and adult Locusta migratoria after selective X-irradiations of the haemocytopoietic tissue

Twenty-four hours after a selective irradiation of the haemocytopoietic tissue (‘phagocytic tissue’ of the literature) of larval and adult locusts, the total haemocyte number falls by approximately 50 per cent of its initial figure. The decrease is not equivalent for the three main haemocyte types: it is strongest for the coagulocytes and weakest for the granular haemocytes. The recovery period of the haemogramme lasts 5 to 6 days and is characterized by a strong temporary increase in the figure of poorly differentiated haemocytes (plaamatocyte-like cells). Sham irradiations in a ventral abdominal region (same dose, equivalent surface area) do not affect the haemogramme. The dramatic decrease in the number of circulating haemocytes after irradiation of the highly radiosensitive haemocytopoietic tissue brings the ultimate proof of its important rôle in the production of haemocytes at different developmental stages, and is in complete agreement with our former morphological and physiological studies.

Incubation patch of the chicken: Response to hormones in situ and transplanted to a dorsal site

A graft of ventral abdominal skin from each of 18 immature chickens was transplanted to the dorsum, and a similar graft of dorsal skin was transplanted to the ventrum. Incubation patch development, which normally occurs only in the ventral abdominal region, was then induced in nine of these birds with estrogen plus prolactin, a combination previously found effective in other bird species. This hormone treatment produced skin changes characteristic of normal patch formation (defeathering, dermal hypervascularization, epidermal hyperplasia) in ventral skin in a ventral position. However, only epidermal hyperplasia, not dermal hypervascularity, was induced in ventral skin transplanted to the dorsum. Dorsal skin, either in situ or transplanted to the ventrum, did not respond to hormone treatment. It is concluded that (1) the combination of estrogen and prolactin induces patch formation in the chicken, (2) epidermal hyperplasia can be induced independently of dermal hypervascularity, (3) dermal hypervascularity is influenced both by position (the skin must be associated with ventral tissues) and origin (only ventral skin is sensitive), (4) dorsal skin is insensitive to the hormones used, and (5) skin transplantation can be a valuable tool for studying the endocrine control of individual aspects of patch formation.