Achados epidemiológicos, clínicos e ultrassonográficos em bovinos acometidos com retículopericardite traumática

Abstract

The objective of this study was to describe the epidemiological, clinical, and ultrasound findings in 24 cattle affected with traumatic pericarditis. The epidemiological and clinical data were obtained from case histories and physical examinations. Was made the blood count and serum concentrations of total plasma protein and plasma fibrinogen. Ultrasound examination was performed in the left side over the ventral thorax and between the 4th to 8th intercostal spaces with a 3.5 MHz convex transducer. All affected animals were dairy female, mostly nursing, created semi-intensive, with a mean age of five years. The owners were main complaints of decreased appetite and milk production, being diagnosed mainly in the summer (dry season), with periods of disease ranging from one to 30 days. The main clinical findings were related to cardiovascular changes such as tachycardia, abnormalities in cardiac auscultation as muffled sounds and fluid, jugular vein distention and oedema in the submandibular region and brisket. The increase in fibrinogen and a neutrophilic leukocytosis were present in most cases. In the thoracic cavity, the ultrasound revealed distension of the pericardial sac varied by hypoechoic fluid content causing a medial displacement of the heart, fibrin deposits echogenic free fluid in the pericardial and/or adhered to the epicardium and the pericardial sac, hypoechoic pleural effusion, lung displacing dorsally, irregular structures and filaments of different echogenicity adhered to the pleura. In the abdominal cavity, the changes were located mainly in the ventral and cranial with dorsal displacement of the reticulum. Changes in the reticulum contour is characterized by the presence of masses irregular hypo-or hyperechoic, abscesses, fibrin strands, hypoechoic fluid or anaecóico latter being evidenced in cases of ascites. Reticular contractions showed disorders in the frequency, amplitude or speed being evidenced in isolation or combined. The interaction of information obtained from epidemiological, clinical and laboratory findings, coupled with the sonographic findings were sufficient for the diagnosis and prognosis of cattle suffering from traumatic pericarditis.