Diseases of cattle, sheep, goats and swineMoussu, G. (Gustave)
Science
Diseases of cattle, sheep, goats and swine
Moussu, G. (Gustave)
Veterinary medicine
In bovine pathology only passive congestion of the liver, often a result
of various primary affections with cardiac lesions, is well recognised.
Active congestions probably occur during infections or intoxications of
various kinds, but have not been made the object of special research.
Among diseases likely to produce passive congestion must be included all
those which interfere with the return circulation through the posterior
vena cava. All cardiac affections with lesions of the valves or orifices
of the right heart, all forms of pericarditis, tumours or lesions of the
mediastinum compressing the posterior vena cava, produce stasis, passive
congestion, and progressive development of what is called “cardiac
liver.”
=Symptoms.= The liver is considerably hypertrophied, as a consequence of
the stasis of blood and progressive dilatation of the portal system. Its
zone of dulness increases in size, whilst on palpation its borders may
sometimes be detected. This condition is always accompanied by digestive
disturbance.
The function of the liver is more or less interfered with; the urine is
scanty in amount and charged with deposit. Ascites of varying intensity
frequently occurs; cardiac disturbance accompanies or usually precedes
the above symptoms.
=The lesions= of passive congestion are represented by progressive
dilatation of the entire portal venous system (nutmeg liver). In time
this dilatation may produce biliary cirrhosis, as a result of chronic
irritation of the blood-vessels and perivenous inflammation. This
condition is known as “cardiac cirrhosis of the liver.”
=The diagnosis= of this pathological condition is generally easy,
provided that the primary disease which causes it be recognised.
=The prognosis= is always grave, and the practitioner is limited to
treating the primary affection, such as endocarditis, pericarditis, etc.
NODULAR NECROSING HEPATITIS.
This form of inflammation of the liver is somewhat rare in animals of
the bovine species. The disease is difficult to diagnose, and is often
only recognised on post-mortem examination.
Isolated tracts of the liver become inflamed, between which the rest of
the tissue preserves its normal character; the parts affected appear to
undergo complete degeneration, the cause of which is difficult to
explain. On examining affected animals after death, the liver is found
to be greatly enlarged, and apparently invaded by multiple tumours. On
section, the parenchyma generally is of normal colour, but the diseased
parts are represented by dirty greyish-yellow tissue of a lardaceous
character, somewhat resistant to the knife.
The affected spots vary in size, between that of a lentil or hazel nut
and an egg, and are formed of necrotic tissue.
The periphery is the seat of true chronic fibro-plastic inflammation.
[Illustration: $1]
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