Oorsig/Review
to the abomasal fluid and if only abomasal fluid
is set up on culture, these cases can be missed.
In light of this information abomasal fluid and
placental cotyledon should routinely be set up on
culture.
Some bacterial / fungal infections are capable of
passing through the placenta without initiating a
placentitis. For this reason fresh lung and liver
should be collected and frozen away. Should
abomasal fluid and placenta return negative
results but histopathology suggests sepsis, these
organs can be set up on culture.
Mineral analysis
This can be reliably performed on formalin fixed
tissues. The minerals which are validated on
formalin fixed material include selenium, copper,
zinc, iron, cobalt and manganese. Preservation of
liver tissue in formalin for up to one month had
no significant effect on these trace element levels,
except for manganese. The drop-in manganese
levels were associated with leaching. Therefore,
performing mineral analysis on formalin fixed
tissue within one to 2 weeks of collection provides
reliable diagnostic information as regards
deficiency or toxicity of a particular mineral. The
differences in mineral concentration between
fresh liver and liver stored in formalin (1 – 2
weeks) are statistically insignificant.
Diagnostic Sample Synopsis
•
•
•
•
•
Microbiology (bacterial, fungal) – Abomasal
fluid and Placenta (freeze lung, liver).
Histopathology – brain, thyroid, heart, lung,
thymus, liver, spleen, kidney, lymphnode,
adrenal, intestine, skin (eyelid).
Immunohistochemistry – various infectious
agents (formalin fixed tissue sections)
Molecular Biology (polymerize chain
reaction) – specific viral etiologies (spleen,
lymphnode, brain) and bovine fetus
abomasal fluid (Tritrichomonas foetus and
Campylobacter fetus).
Mineral analysis (Se, Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cr).
Further reading.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Maxie M G. 2016. Pathology of Domestic Animals
6th edition. Elsevier, St. Louis.
Njaa B L. 2012. Kirkbride’s Diagnosis of
abortion and neonatal loss in animals. 4th
edition. Wiley-Blackwell, Ames.
Smith C. 2002. The effect of preserving liver
tissue in formalin on the concentration of trace
minerals in the liver. Masters thesis. University of
Pretoria.
Steffan D. 2003. Investigating Congenital
Diseases in Calves. The Nebraska Genetic
Disease Diagnosis and Consulting Program.
C.L.Davis Foundation Symposium on
Reproductive Diseases, San Diego, USA.
THE VETERINARY LABORATORY DIAGNOSTIC TEAM AT YOUR SERVICE
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Dr James Hill - BVSc, M.Med.Vet (Clin Pathology) 1
Dr Sandy May - BVSc, M.Med.Vet (Clin Pathology) 3
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