Zusammenfassung der Ressource
Pathology of Alimentary Tract 2
(Ruminant Forestomachs/
Glandular stomach)
- Ruminant Forestomachs
- Forestomachs: Rumen, Reticulum, Omasum
- Note: Postmortem putrfactive
changes occur rapidly (Gas
distension, Sloughing of mucosa)
- Functional Disorders
- Bloat (Ruminal Tympany)
- Failure to expel
fermentation gases
- Pathogenesis:
- Primary:
- "Frothy bloat"
- Due to formation of stable foam in
Rumen (follows ingestion of excess
high protein lucerne/clover or high
concentrate, low roughage diet
- Secondary:
- Mechanical/functional obstruction
of oesophagus (oesophageal
stricture) -> accumulation of gas
- Vagus indigestion (Traumatic
reticuloperitonitis, liver
abscess, chronic suppurative
bronchopneumonia)
- Recurrent laryngeal nerve & Vagus
nerve => Vagal function =>
Reduced Rumen Motility
- Neoplasia (Lymphoarcoma,
Papillomas)
- Overdistension of Rumen
& Reticulum with
fermentative gases
- Increased intra-abdominal pressure
- Congestive heart failure
- Compression of diaphragm
- Resp. failure
- "Bloat line" cranial to thoracic inlet
- Reduced return of
blood flow to heart
- Blood is dark
(Hypoxic) & clots
poorly
- Congestion, Oedema &
subcutaneous haemorrhage
of head & neck tissues
- Runminal Acidosis (Grain overload)
- Ruminitis may develop => allow
thromboemboli to travel to the Liver
=> Hepatic abcessation
- Histologically: Microvesicles
containing mainly neutrophils occur in
the epithelium of the rumen papillae
- May be focal erosions/ulcerations
- Damaged mucosa may be colonized
by fungi (e.g. Mucor/Rhizopus/Absidia
app.) or bacteria (e.g. Fusobacterium
necrophorum)
- Inflammation
- Traumatic Reticulitis "Hardware disease"
- Ingestion of sharp objects
(e.g. wire, nails)
- 1) Fall to floor or reticulum
=> Insignificant
- 2) Contractions force foreign body
into wall of reticulum:
- => Mild suppurative or
Granulomatous reticulitis +/-
Peritonitis
- Localized =>
Adhesions
- 3) Foreign body penetrates Cranial
wall (rumen contractions) :
- => Acute Peritonitis, Local
Fibrous adhesions
- => Penetrates Diaphragm
(Fibrinopurelent pleurisy,
pneumonia, pericarditis)
- Fusobacterium,
Actinomyces spp.
- Inflammatory process around
Reticulum (may) => vagus indeigestion
& ruminal stasis
- => Purulent fluid build up =>
Cardiac Failure
- Ruminitis (Bacterial or Mycotic)
- Bacterial
- Lactic Acidosis
- Opportunistic pathogens (Take
advantage of acidotic lesions & other
disturbances of rumen flora)
- Mechanical
Injury to Rumen
- Ex. Traumatic
Reticuloperitinitis
- Damage to Rumen wall =>
Infiltration of bacteria (GI
colonizers)
- Fusobacterium necrophorum,
Trueperella pyogenes,
Actinobacillus lignieresii
- Mycotic
- Abx, Lactic Acidosis
- Vascular invasion ->
Thrombosis -> Infarction
- Haematogenous ->
Placentitis ->
Abortion
- Mucor/Rhizopus/Absidia
- Gross: Multiple, dark red areas of
swollen paillae, Coagulative
necrosis of papillae, Serofibrinous
exudate
- Histologically: Coagulative necrosis of
papillae, marked neutrophil infiltrate
- Thromboembolic spread => Form
areas of coagulative necrosis &
abscesses in Liver
- Neoplasia
- Papillomatosis
- Bovine papillomavirus type 4
- Usually pedunculated
structures in
Reticulum/Rumen of Cattle
- Squamous cell carcinoma
- Thought to develop from papillomas in
Cattle in association with ingested
carcinogens in Bracken Fern
- Pathology of the Glandular
Stomach & Abomasum
- Physical Disturbances
- Obstruction
- Foreign body
- Bones, stones, hair/wool
balls (trichobezoars), plant
material (phytobezoars)
- Pyloric Stenosis
- Dogs, Foals, Cats
- Congenital Hypertrophy of
Pyloric muscle
- => Delayed Gastric
emptying & persistent
vomiting/regurgitation
- Acquired
- Following healed
ulcers (foals)
- Functional Obstruction
- Dysautonomia
- Feline
dysautonomia
- Equine Grass
sickness
- Vagal indigestion (Cattle)
- End-stage liver
disease (Equine)
- Horses DON'T vomit!
Stomach will rupture before
they vomit
- Displacements of the
stomach/abomasum
- Herniation of Stomach
(through diaphragm)
- Congenital (Cats)
- Often associated w/
herniation of Liver
- Peritoneo-pericardial
diaphragmatic hernia
- Acquired (Dogs, Cats)
- RTAs
- Displacement of
GI tract into
peritoneal cavity
- Abomasal
Displacement (Cattle)
- Ventral & to left of Rumen (LDA)
- 85% of
Displacements
- Partial obstruction of outflow
- Mild consequences: May not require surgery
- To right of Rumen (RDA)
- 15% of
Displacements
- Acute dilation & volvulus
- Severe consequences:
Usually require surgery
- Obstructs
outflow from
abomasum
- Normal location: Close
to or just right of the
ventral midline
- Constriction of blood vessels & trauma
to vagus nerve resulting in abomasal
distension w/ blood-stained fluid & gas,
congested mucosa, infarction
- May rupture =>
Peritonitis, shock, death
- NOTE: Gastric rupture may be a PM
event due to putrefactive gases (Look
for evidence of haemorrhage &
Peritonitis suggesting antemortem
rupture
- Predisposing factors:
- Post-parturient Dairy Cows
- Change to grain concentrates in diet
(Increased VFAs -> Affect motility)
- Hypocalcaemia (Abomasal atony)
- Inflammation
- Haemorrhagic/necrotizing
Abomasitis
- Braxy
- Sheep/Cattle
- Acute abomastitis (Red,
thickend, necrotic
haemorrhagic mucosa
- Ingestion of frozen food in winter
- Devitalizes
gastric mucosa
- Coagulative necrosis of mucosa &
deeper structures w/ fibrin, oedema,
haemorrhage & sometimes
submucosal emphysema
- Clostridium
septicum (Exotoxin)
- Bacterial Gastritis &
Gastric Ulceration
- Heliobacteriosis
- Dogs, Cats
- Helicobacter heilmannii,
Helicobacter felis
- Chronic mucoid gastritis
- Hypertrophic Gastritis/
Abomastitis
- Chronic hypertrophic
gastritis (Dogs)
- Chronic retention
of gastric fluid &
bile reflux
- Marked mucosal thickening
& convolution of rugae
- Histologically: Marked epithelial
hyperplasia, loss of parietal/chief
cells, dilation of mucous glands &
mixed inflammatory cell infiltrates
in lamina propria
- Parasitic Gastritis (Osteragiosis)
- Cattle: Ostertagia ostertagi
- Sheep: Teladorsagia circumcincta
- Acute Gastritis
- Hyperaemia & oedema
- Chronic Gastritis
- Nodules (encysted larvae) in
abomasal mucosa, "Morocco
leather" appearence
- Glandular hyperplasia, loss of
parietal/chief cells, chronic inflammation
associated w/ lymphocytes, plasma cells
& eosinophils & larvae
- Chronic Atrophic Gastritis (Dogs)
- Aetiology uncertain
- Mucosal thinning & loss of gastric
glands, diffuse mixed inflammtory
infiltrate in the lamina propria
- Ulceration
- Pathogenesis
- Hypersecretion of acid &/or
impaired mucosal barrier
- => Mucosal barrier is disrupted ->
Pepsin & acid cause Necrosis ->
Erosion/ulcers (Erosion of underlying
blood vessels -> Haemorrhage
- Causes:
- NSAIDs
- Corticosteroids (Stress)
- Viral infection (e.g. mucosal disease)
- Foreign bodies
- Intestinal obstruction (reflux of bile)
- Neoplasia
- Idiopathic
- (Local Trauma)
- (Local Ischaemia)
- Dogs: NSAIDs, Mast cell tumor (Histamine => HCl
hypersecretion), Pancreatic gastrinoma (Tumor
derived from Islets -Pancreas -> Gastrin)
Azotaemia, Cirrhosis, Bile reflux
- Pigs (weaned growers & feeders): Finely ground
grain concentrate diets - stratified squamous areas
of stomach affected
- Horses: Stress/ NSAIDs - stratified squamous
epithelium at margo plicatus (adults & foals),
glandular area (foals)
- Cattle: Periparturient lactic acidosis, Abomasal
impaction, displacement or torsion, Mucosal
disease - Bleed & perforation
- Heal by granulation
& fibrosis or
perforate
- Neoplasia
- Adenocarcinoma
- Malignancy of mucosal
epithelium
- Most common gastric
neoplasm in Small animals
- Locally aggressive & spreads
via lymphatic vessels to lymph
nodes, lung, liver
- Thickened, pale tissue,
ulcerated of fungating
- Squamous cell carcinoma
- Commonest gastric
tumor in Horses
- Large cauliflower-like mass
- Metastases & transcoelomic spread
- Leiomyoma/Leiomyosarcoma
- Smooth muscle neoplasms
forming nodular masses
- Mainly Dogs
- Lymphoma
- Diffuse infiltration of
Neoplastic lymphocytes
- Dogs, Cats, Horses