Cervical ectopia cordis in a calf: a case report

Abstract

A female Holstein Friesian calf with inferior cervical ectopia cordis was followed from the 16 th day of age until euthanasia at the age of three months. The heart was located in the lower cervical region and was covered with skin. The calf was presented with normal heart and respiratory rate. A grade II/VI systolic murmur was audible at the heart base when the calf was checked for the first time, but this later disappeared. The ultrasonography revealed that the apex of the heart was directed cranio-ventrally with the left ventricle ventral and slightly to the right side while the right ventricle was dorsal. The results of complete blood count and biochemistry were inside reference intervals. At necropsy the heart was covered with normal pericardium and skin and displaced to the caudal part of the ventral cervical region, just cranial to an enlarged apertura thoracis cranialis. Additionally, the cranial lobes of the lungs were displaced through the enlarged thoracic aperture under the skin on the ventral part of the neck. In conclusion, we suspect that the deformed and enlarged cranial thoracic aperture enabled displacement of the heart and cranial lung lobes to the ventral neck region, because no other abnormalities of the heart and vessels were observed. This is the first case of cervical ectopia cordis reported in Slovenia and this article provides data regarding different aspects of the case (clinics, laboratory, pathomorphology) while also discussing previously published cases of ectopia cordis in cattle.

Bovine thoracic Ectopia cordis in southeastern Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

“…The Holstein Friesian is the most affected bovine breed, but it has already been described in other breeds such as Shorthorn, Hereford, Angus, Guernsey, Simmental, and Limousin (JEZEK et al, 2016). In this case, the animal was a cross-bred bovine from a small rural property in the southeast of RS, where the producer does not control the crossings, which can favor the inbreeding of the herd and, consequently, the appearance of defects transmitted by recessive genes.…”

“…Ectopia cordis (EC) is a rare congenital anomaly with a high mortality rate, characterized by a defect in the fusion of the anterior chest wall that results in an extrathoracic location of the heart (JEZEK et al, 2016). This condition can be classified as total or partial according to the volume of the exteriorized heart (JEZEK et al, 2016).…”

Abomasal ulceration causes deaths in calves on multiple farms in Scotland

“…There is no known genetic basis for ectopia cordis in cattle, which is reported most commonly in Holstein Friesians 2 . The presentation has been associated with early damage to the amniotic sac, 3 so this may reflect the fact that it is more common for early pregnancy diagnosis to be carried out in Holstein Friesian cows.…”