purplebumble
Warren Veteran
POST MORTEM RESULTS FROM DAZY-MAE FRENCH LOP RABBIT AGED 6 MONTHS.
5 samples received, 6 sections evaluated initially, followed by 2 reprocessed sections.
HEART- (slide one) this transverse sections of the ventricles shows mild dilation of the left ventricular lumen. Myocytes show some branching but appear orderly.
LUNG- ( 3 sections, slides 2 and BTP, three sections) Grossly, sections of the lung sank in formalin. Histologically, the lung appears poorly aerated-there is occasional peripheral hyperinflation of alveoli, but the overwhelming majority of the alveoli are flooded by oedema. No lesions are visible in airway epithelium. Extremely rarely, small clusters of lymphocytes and plasma cells are present around the subpleural vessels.
LIVER- (slide 3 ) Portal tracts are moderately expended by fibrosis with a light infiltrate of mixed small mononuclear leucocytes and sometimes by seemingly proliferative and supernumerary bile ductules. One bile duct shows erosion of the lining epithelium surrounded by fibrosis and small mononuclear leucocytes,while the lumen is greatly distended by amorphous debris, degenerate leucocytes,and the outlines of numerous oocytes approximately 30u in diameter with a delicate shell and control nucleoplasm. (consistent with Elmerie stiedes )
KIDNEY- (slide 3 ) Renal tubuler epithelium appears mildly hypereosinophile and attenuated ( preservation artefact or mild degeneration ) Renal tubules sometimes contain scanty proteinaceous content.
PRESUMED ABDOMINAL FIBRIN-LIKE MATERIAL, PER HISTORY ( slide 4 )
This sample consists of a meshwork of fibrin and oedema within trapped neutrophils and fewer macrophages. Some punctate debris is also present ( nuclear dust or possibly bacteria, uncertain) In some areas, there appears to be incipient organization by fibrocytes.
MORPHOLOGICAL DIAGNOSES
1)lung- Pulmonary oedema-extensive, severe, acute.
2)liver- Cholangitis-multifocal, chronic with billiary hypoplasia and focal infection with coccidian oocytes consistent with elmeria stidae
3)kidney- Tubulonephrosis-multi focal, mild, suspected.
4) Abdominal material- Fibrinoneutrophilic exudate.
5)heart-no significant findings.
COMMENTS- this rabbit died with severe pulmonary oedema, which would easily account for death through respiratory failure. I suspect that the pale foci seen in the lung at post mortem examination were actually the few normally aerated alveoli, which would have been slightly raised above the level of the remainder of the tissue.
The cause of this lesion is not absolutely certain. In combination with the reported findings of discharge from the nose and in the thorax, viral haemorrhagic disease of rabbits (VHD) could be considered. Histological diagnosis of VHD depends upon the prescence of characteristics findings in various organs, none of which alone are considered pathognomonic. these include
multifocal hepatocytic necrosis with or without haemorrhage. Renal glomerular microthrombi,
sometimes with tubulonephropathy, pulmonary congestion, alveolar flooding and haemorrhage, tracheal submucosal congestion and haemorrhage – the more of these findings are present, the greater the likelihood of vhd. Here, only some lesions are present- (pulmonary oedema, probably nephropathy) so this is a suggested diagnosis only – it may be that the rabbit succumbed to pulmonary oedema before other lesions had a chance to develop.
Alternatively, other causes of pulmonary oedema could be considered. These would include – peracute sepsis or toxaemia ( possibly supported by the fibrinoneutrophilic exude in the abdomen) acute heart failure of any cause, trauma, electrocution, and many others.
The rabbit also had billiary coccidiosis, which accounts for the liver lesions. In rabbits coccidiosis is generally caused by elmeria stiedae. Most rabbits severely affected with coccidiosis are 8-10 weeks old, older rabbits often have partial immunity and may show few or only vague signs. This lesion is unlikely to have contributed significantly to this rabbits death, but the coccidia might pose a risk to any younger rabbits housed in the same environment.
DIAGNOSIS – possible viral haemorrhagic disease of rabbits and hepatic coccidiosis.
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the odd thing is the end of the report..the vet goes on about intestinal coccidia..but nowhere does she say hepatic coccidia can occur in any aged rabbit:? first time ive really noticed after re reading it!
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5 samples received, 6 sections evaluated initially, followed by 2 reprocessed sections.
HEART- (slide one) this transverse sections of the ventricles shows mild dilation of the left ventricular lumen. Myocytes show some branching but appear orderly.
LUNG- ( 3 sections, slides 2 and BTP, three sections) Grossly, sections of the lung sank in formalin. Histologically, the lung appears poorly aerated-there is occasional peripheral hyperinflation of alveoli, but the overwhelming majority of the alveoli are flooded by oedema. No lesions are visible in airway epithelium. Extremely rarely, small clusters of lymphocytes and plasma cells are present around the subpleural vessels.
LIVER- (slide 3 ) Portal tracts are moderately expended by fibrosis with a light infiltrate of mixed small mononuclear leucocytes and sometimes by seemingly proliferative and supernumerary bile ductules. One bile duct shows erosion of the lining epithelium surrounded by fibrosis and small mononuclear leucocytes,while the lumen is greatly distended by amorphous debris, degenerate leucocytes,and the outlines of numerous oocytes approximately 30u in diameter with a delicate shell and control nucleoplasm. (consistent with Elmerie stiedes )
KIDNEY- (slide 3 ) Renal tubuler epithelium appears mildly hypereosinophile and attenuated ( preservation artefact or mild degeneration ) Renal tubules sometimes contain scanty proteinaceous content.
PRESUMED ABDOMINAL FIBRIN-LIKE MATERIAL, PER HISTORY ( slide 4 )
This sample consists of a meshwork of fibrin and oedema within trapped neutrophils and fewer macrophages. Some punctate debris is also present ( nuclear dust or possibly bacteria, uncertain) In some areas, there appears to be incipient organization by fibrocytes.
MORPHOLOGICAL DIAGNOSES
1)lung- Pulmonary oedema-extensive, severe, acute.
2)liver- Cholangitis-multifocal, chronic with billiary hypoplasia and focal infection with coccidian oocytes consistent with elmeria stidae
3)kidney- Tubulonephrosis-multi focal, mild, suspected.
4) Abdominal material- Fibrinoneutrophilic exudate.
5)heart-no significant findings.
COMMENTS- this rabbit died with severe pulmonary oedema, which would easily account for death through respiratory failure. I suspect that the pale foci seen in the lung at post mortem examination were actually the few normally aerated alveoli, which would have been slightly raised above the level of the remainder of the tissue.
The cause of this lesion is not absolutely certain. In combination with the reported findings of discharge from the nose and in the thorax, viral haemorrhagic disease of rabbits (VHD) could be considered. Histological diagnosis of VHD depends upon the prescence of characteristics findings in various organs, none of which alone are considered pathognomonic. these include
multifocal hepatocytic necrosis with or without haemorrhage. Renal glomerular microthrombi,
sometimes with tubulonephropathy, pulmonary congestion, alveolar flooding and haemorrhage, tracheal submucosal congestion and haemorrhage – the more of these findings are present, the greater the likelihood of vhd. Here, only some lesions are present- (pulmonary oedema, probably nephropathy) so this is a suggested diagnosis only – it may be that the rabbit succumbed to pulmonary oedema before other lesions had a chance to develop.
Alternatively, other causes of pulmonary oedema could be considered. These would include – peracute sepsis or toxaemia ( possibly supported by the fibrinoneutrophilic exude in the abdomen) acute heart failure of any cause, trauma, electrocution, and many others.
The rabbit also had billiary coccidiosis, which accounts for the liver lesions. In rabbits coccidiosis is generally caused by elmeria stiedae. Most rabbits severely affected with coccidiosis are 8-10 weeks old, older rabbits often have partial immunity and may show few or only vague signs. This lesion is unlikely to have contributed significantly to this rabbits death, but the coccidia might pose a risk to any younger rabbits housed in the same environment.
DIAGNOSIS – possible viral haemorrhagic disease of rabbits and hepatic coccidiosis.
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the odd thing is the end of the report..the vet goes on about intestinal coccidia..but nowhere does she say hepatic coccidia can occur in any aged rabbit:? first time ive really noticed after re reading it!
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