Hepatic Lipodystrophy in Galloway Calves

Abstract

Hepatic lipodystrophy in Galloway calves is a fatal liver disease affecting a small proportion of the Galloway breed described in different parts of Europe and North America during the past decades. The clinical findings include a diversity of neurological signs. Clinical pathology findings frequently indicate hepatobiliary disease. Postmortem examination reveals an enlarged, pale yellow, and firm liver. Histologic lesions include hepatic fibrosis, hepatic lipidosis, and bile duct hyperplasia. To date, the etiopathogenesis remains obscure. Infectious causes, intoxications, and a hereditary origin have been considered. We describe hepatic lipodystrophy in Galloway calves from an extensively farmed cow-calf operation in southern Germany. Main clinical findings in 6 calves were consistent with hepatic encephalopathy. Clinical pathology findings in 5 of 6 tested animals revealed increased concentration of total bilirubin (maximum value [MV], 54 mmol/l; reference range [RR], <8

Diagnostic performance of cytology for assessment of hepatic lipid content in dairy cattle

“…Affected calves consistently show marked accumulations of lipid on histopathological examination of tissues collected at necropsy. The high levels of lipid would likely be easily detected by an aspirate and provide more specific support as to the underlying etiology antemortem than the nonspecific plasma biochemical markers that have been associated with the degree of hepatic lipodystrophy postmortem (Wieland et al, 2017). Further studies are planned to assess the clinical utility of FNB liver cytology for diagnosis of HL in dairy cattle.…”

Cadaveric, Organ Bath and Real Time Ultrasonographic Studies on Liver and Associated Structures in Calves

“…Hepatic pathologies were common in calves of 6 weeks age but were also seen in day old and even in aborted foetus (Doll et al, 1989). Textural, vascular and ductal derangements in calves sometime leading to fatal sequale (Weiland et al, 2017) were absolutely difficult to predict or diagnose. W ith the advent of Ultrasonographic examination and its applicability on ruminants for hepatic evaluation provided detailed information about the size, position and ultrasonographic parenchymal pattern of the liver, the size and position of the gallbladder and the intra-and extra hepatic bile ducts and the topography of the major vessels in adult cattle (Braun, 2009) and in calves (Braun and Kruger, 2013).…”