Perihepatic abscess associated with vagal indigestion syndrome in cattle: retrospective study

Authors

Abstract

Vagal indigestion (VI) is a syndrome characterized by changes in the motility of the
forestomach and abomasum, which occurs in the event of dysfunctions in the vagus nerve. Several
inflammatory conditions are associated with nerve injury, however, the relationship between
perihepatic abscesses and this syndrome is poorly documented. Therefore, a retrospective
study of the clinical, laboratory, ultrasound and anatomopathological findings of 15 cattle
presented with VI due to perihepatic abscess was carried out. Samples from the liver abscesses
of three cattle were sent for bacteriological analysis. All were over 24 months old, were dairy
cows in the productive phase (86.67%, 13/15) and raised in a semi-intensive system (73.34%,
15/11). The main clinical findings were dehydration, ruminal tympania, ruminal hypermotility
and scanty feces. Laboratory tests revealed leukocytosis due to neutrophilia, with a regenerative
shift to the left and elevated chloride content in the ruminal fluid. Ultrasonography revealed
reticular hypermotility, ruminal distension and large abscesses adjacent to the left hepatic
lobe, which were confirmed by pathological examination. Bacteriological evaluation identified
Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis and Providencia stuartii. It is concluded that
among the causes of IV syndrome, the presence of perihepatic abscesses should be considered
when establishing the diagnosis of the disease.

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References

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Published

2025-03-21

How to Cite

CONCEIÇÃO, Ângela I.; SILVA, T. A. da; MENDONÇA, C. L. de; GODOI, A. P. dos S.; MENDONÇA, M.; CAJUEIRO, J. F. de P.; SILVA, N. A. A. da; SOUZA, M. I. de; SOUTO, R. J. C.; AFONSO, J. A. B. Perihepatic abscess associated with vagal indigestion syndrome in cattle: retrospective study. Brazilian Animal Science/ Ciência Animal Brasileira, Goiânia, v. 26, 2025. Disponível em: https://revistas.ufg.br/vet/article/view/80761. Acesso em: 31 mar. 2025.

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MEDICINA VETERINÁRIA