Caudal Vena Cava Thrombosis in Cows

Authors

  • José Diomedes Barbosa Universidade Federal do Pará (UFPA), Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Castanhal, PA, Brasil https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8915-5735
  • Marilene de Farias Brito Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro (UFRRJ-IV), Departamento de Epidemiologia e Saúde Pública, Seropédica, RJ, Brasil https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8667-9434
  • Camila Cordeiro Barbosa Universidade Federal do Pará (UFPA), Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Castanhal, PA, Brasil https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7837-4246
  • Luis Antonio Scalabrin Tondo Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro (UFRRJ-IV), Departamento de Epidemiologia e Saúde Pública, Seropédica, RJ, Brasil https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2990-2329
  • Cinthia Távora de Albuquerque Lopes Universidade Federal do Pará (UFPA), Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Castanhal, PA, Brasil https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7339-0044
  • Lilli Bittner Clinic for Ruminants and Swine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7815-0648
  • Tatiane Teles Albernaz Ferreira Universidade Federal do Pará (UFPA), Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Castanhal, PA, Brasil https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1538-6140
  • Natália da Silva e Silva Silveira Universidade Federal do Pará (UFPA), Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Castanhal, PA, Brasil https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0270-8948

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22456/1679-9216.128576

Abstract

Background: The caudal vena cava thrombosis (CVCT) is a serious disease that affects cattle, and due to be commonly a fatal pathology, it causes economic losses for producers and national livestock. Thus, the present study describes the epidemiological, clinical, ultrasonographic imaging and pathological findings in 4 cattle with CVCT attended at the Veterinary Hospital (HV) of the Institute of Veterinary Medicine (IMV) of the Federal University of Pará (UFPA).

Cases: The cows were crossbreds of the Gir x Holstein and Jersey x Holstein breeds, aged between 4 and 8-year-old, raised in the semi-extensive and intensive systems. The main clinical signs were pale mucous membranes, reluctance to move, markedly positive venous pulse, engorged jugular with positive stasis test and serous to mucopurulent nasal exudation. The auscultation of the lung fields revealed tachypnea, silent areas, wheezing, pleural friction, in addition to coughing, expiratory dyspnea, mouth breathing and expiratory grunts. One animal had severe hemoptysis. The ultrasound examination performed in a bovine revealed a circular and dilated caudal vena cava in cross-section. Laboratorial tests in 3 cows revealed anemia and leukocytosis with neutrophil left shift, in addition to increased liver enzymes. At necropsy, all cattle had thrombi in the hepatic segment of the vena cava caudal. In the lung, multiple abscesses and areas of parenchymal consolidation, crateriform areas, as well as thrombi in the arteries were observed. Pleural effusion and ascites where seen in all cows. Clotted blood was seen in the trachea, bronchi and on rumen contents of an animal. Histopathological alterations seen in the liver were centrilobular hepatocytes with frequent intensely eosinophilic cytoplasm, and pyknotic, karyorrhexic or absent nuclei and cell borders barely distinguishable. In the lung, there were nodular and random formations, with a thick wall of mature connective tissue and a central area full of cellular debris, necrotic cells, intact and degenerated neutrophils (abscesses).

Discussion: The set of diagnostic tools that includes epidemiology, clinical signs and clinical examinations, ultrasound, necropsy and histopathology were efficient in the diagnosis of CVCT. The possible causes that led the cows to develop CVCT were diffuse septic pododermatitis in the medial nail of the right pelvic limb associated with traumatic reticuloabomasitis and liver abscesses. In 1 animal, it was not possible to establish the probable cause of CVCT, but for the other 3 cows in the present study, the probable causes are in agreement with studies that have shown that this disease can occur as a sequel to several septic conditions such as: jugular phlebitis, mastitis, hoof rot, enteritis, pneumonia, traumatic reticulopericarditis, acidosis and rumen laminitis, as well as omphalophlebitis in calves. The tachypnea, serous to purulent nasal exudation, pulmonary wheezing, pleural friction, coughing, expiratory dyspnea, usually with open mouth breathing and expiratory grunts evidenced in the animals of this study, occurred as a result of embolic abscess pneumonia. The presence of multiple lung abscesses, areas of parenchymal consolidation, crateriform foci and thrombi in the pulmonary arteries and chronic suppurative pneumonia, found at necropsy of the animals in the present study, are related to the development of a thrombus in the caudal vena cava that detaches and embolizes and lodges in the pulmonary arteries. The histopathological findings in one animal are compatible with lesions found at necropsy and draw attention to embolic pneumonia and liver lesions, which, are related to thrombi in pulmonary arteries and abscesses formed from CVCT, as well as venous stasis exerted in the return circulation.

Keywords: thrombi, venous stasis, circular caudal vena cava, Amazon Biome.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Afonso J.A.B., Costa N.A., Mendonça C.L., Souza M.I., Coutinho L.T., Simão L.C.V., & Pires Jr. J.B. 2001. Tromboembolismo da artéria pulmonar com trombose da veia cava caudal em uma vaca. Relato de caso. Ciência Veterinária nos Trópicos. 4(2/3): 310-314.

Braun U., Feige K., Fluckiger M. & Pospischil A. 2002. Diagnosis by ultrasonography of congestion of the caudal vena cava secondary to thrombosis in 12 cows. Veterinary Record. 150(7): 209-213. DOI: 10.1136/vr.150.7.209

Braun U., Salis F., & Gerspach C. 2003. Sonographic detection of an echogenic thrombus in the vena cava caudalis in a cow. Schweizer Archiv für Tierheilkunde. 145(7): 340-341.

Braun U., Schefer U., Gerber D., & Föhn J. 1992. Ultrasonographic findings in a cow with ascites due to thrombosis of the caudal vena cava. Schweizer Archiv fur Tierheilkunde. 134(5): 235-241.

Braun U., Stettler M., Schramm S., & Hilbe M. 2016. Ascites secondary to compression of the caudal vena cava by liver abscesses in a cow. Journal of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry. 4(1): 1-7.

Braun U. 2008. Clinical findings and diagnosis of thrombosis of the caudal vena cava in cattle. The Veterinary Journal. 175(1): 118-125. DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2006.11.013

Braun U. 1990. Ultrasonographic examination of the liver in cows. American Journal of Veterinary Research. 51(10): 1522-1526.

Breeze R.G. & Petrie L. 1977. Thrombosis of the cranial vena cava in a cow. The Veterinary Record. 101(7): 130-131. DOI: 10.1136/vr.101.7.130

Carneiro C., Schwertz C.I., Henker L.C., Rhoden L.A., Piva M.M., Gabriel M.E., Lucca N.J., Baldi K.R.A, Casagrande R.A., Gomes T.M.A. & Mendes R.E. 2018. Doenças diagnosticadas pelo laboratório de patologia veterinária no quinquênio 2013-2017. Boletim de Diagnóstico do Laboratório de Patologia Veterinária. 2(1): 516. DOI: 10.21166/bdpatvet.v2i1.516

Constable P.D., Hinchcliff K.W., Done S.H. & Grunberg W. 2016. Veterinary Medicine: a Textbook of the Diseases of Cattle, Horses, Sheep, Pigs, and Goats. 11th edn. Saint Louis: Elsevier, pp.2278.

Coutinho L.T., Santos J.F., Souto R.J.C., Silva N.A., Souza J.C.A., Mendonça C.L., Cajueiro J.F.P. & Afonso J.A.B. 2021. Estudo clínico, laboratorial e anatomopatológico da trombose da veia cava caudal em bovinos. Pesquisa Veterinária Brasileira. 41: e06856. DOI: 10.1590/1678-5150-PVB-6856

Dirksen G., Gründer H.D. & Stöber M. 1993. Rosenberger - Exame Clínico dos Bovinos. 3.ed. Rio de Janeiro: Guanabara Koogan, pp.44-80.

Facury F.E.J., Carvalho A.U., Ferreira P.M. & Aquino N.H.M. 2007. Trombose de veia cava caudal em bovinos: relato de caso. Archives of Veterinary Sciences. 12: 2-4.

Gerspach C., Wirz M., Knubben-Schweizer G. & Braun U. 2011. Thrombosis of the cranial vena cava in a cow with bronchopneumonia and traumatic reticuloperitonitis. Canadian Veterinary Journal. 52(11): 1228-1231.

Gudmundson J., Radostits O.M. & Doige C.E. 1978. Pulmonary thromboembolism in cattle due to thrombosis of the posterior vena cava associated with hepatic abscessation. The Canadian Veterinary Journal. 19(11): 304.

Schalm O.W. & Jain N.C. 1986. Schalm's Veterinary Hematology. 4th edn. Philadelphia: Lea and Febiger, 1221p.

Kaneko J.J., Harvey J.W. & Bruss M.L. 2008. Clinical Biochemistry of Domestic Animals. 6th edn. San Diego: Academic Press, 928p.

Miller M.N. & Gal A. 2017. Thrombosis of the caudal vena cava. In: Zachary J.F. (Ed). Pathologic Basis of Veterinary Disease. 6th edn. St Louis: Elsevier, 606p.

Mohamed T., Sato H., Kurosawa T. & Oikawa S. 2004. Ultrasonographic localisation of thrombi in the caudal vena cava and hepatic veins in a heifer. The Veterinary Journal. 168(1): 103-106. DOI: 10.1016/S1090-0233(03)00076-5

Peek S.F. & Divers T.J. 2018. Rebhun´s Diseases of Dairy Cattle. 3rd. edn. St. Louis: Elsevier Saunders, 704p.

Santos J.F., Silva J.R.B., Souto R.J.C., Silva N.A.A., Souza J.C.A., Afonso J.A.B., Costa N.A., Mendonça C.L., Cajueiro J.F.P. & Coutinho L.T. 2015. Trombose da veia cava caudal em bovinos. In: XI Congresso Brasileiro de Buiatria (São Paulo, Brazil).

Simpson K.M., Streeter R.N., Cramer S., Lamm C.G. & Love B.C. 2012. Caudal vena caval thrombosis following treatment of deep digital sepsis. The Canadian Veterinary Journal. 53(2): 182-186.

Smith J. 2009. Large Animal Internal Medicine. 4th edn. St. Louis: Mosby Elsevier, pp. 660-661.

Tharwat M. 2010. Diagnostic ultrasonography in cattle with caudal vena cava thrombosis. Journal of Agriculture and Veterinary Science. 3(2): 111-125.

Thrall M.A., Weiser G., Allison R.W. & Campbell T.W. 2015. Hematologia e Bioquímica Clínica Veterinária. 2.ed. Rio de Janeiro: Guanabara Koogan, pp.853-903.

Additional Files

Published

2023-05-12

How to Cite

Barbosa , J. D. ., de Farias Brito, M. ., Cordeiro Barbosa, C., Antonio Scalabrin Tondo, . L. ., Távora de Albuquerque Lopes, C. ., Bittner, L. ., Teles Albernaz Ferreira, T. ., & da Silva e Silva Silveira, N. . (2023). Caudal Vena Cava Thrombosis in Cows. Acta Scientiae Veterinariae, 51. https://doi.org/10.22456/1679-9216.128576

Most read articles by the same author(s)