Multiple congenital ocular abnormalities including microphthalmia, microphakia and aphakia in a Simmental cross bull

Abstract

A 20-month-old Simmental cross bull presented to the Scottish Centre for Production Animal Health and Food Safety, University of Glasgow School of Veterinary Medicine, in April 2015 with multiple congenital ocular abnormalities including bilateral microphthalmia. We present this case as an interesting presentation of idiopathic multiple congenital ocular abnormalities in the absence of congenital abnormalities affecting other body systems. This case highlights an unusual ocular presentation and illustrates the importance of a thorough clinical examination. The prognosis for cases of multiple congenital ocular abnormalities including microphthalmia is poor as no treatment is available and welfare is often compromised. It is therefore important that cases are accurately diagnosed so appropriate management decisions can be made regarding the individual and any herd investigations that are required can be instigated.

Ultrasonography and Postmortem Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Bilateral Ocular Disease in a Heifer

“…Ruminants 2024, 4, FOR PEER REVIEW 2 Ultrasonography has previously been used to diagnose various ocular diseases in humans [14] and in animals such as dogs and cats [15][16][17], camels [18], sheep and goats [19], and deer [20]. Some bovine reports have used ocular ultrasonography for measurements of normal bovine ocular structures [21,22] and the diagnosis of ocular diseases [1,[3][4][5][6]. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) usage has allowed for clear visualizations of the lesions within the retrobulbar regions as well as the eyeballs in human patients [23] and in canine, feline, and bovine cases [4,5,17,24,25], and has been used postmortem in the bovine cases [5,24].…”

“…In Japan, multiple ocular defects are known to be caused by an autosomal recessive hereditary disease in Japanese Black (JB) beef cattle (abbreviated as JB-MOD) [2,3]. The macroscopic appearances associated with bovine congenital ocular diseases include exophthalmos in anterior segment dysgenesis, small eyelids in microphakia or aphakia, cloudiness of the lenses in cataracts, bilateral heterochromia iridis associated with an MITF mutation, and bilateral strabismus in JB-MODs [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13], but these are mostly not diagnostic. Bovine ocular diseases can be broadly differentiated based on a variety of concurrent patterns of intraocular abnormalities such as cortical and anterior and/or posterior subcapsular cataracts, retinal detachments, microphakia or aphakia, and persistent hyaloid artery [1,3,[5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12].…”

“…Some bovine reports have used ocular ultrasonography for measurements of normal bovine ocular structures [21,22] and the diagnosis of ocular diseases [1,[3][4][5][6]. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) usage has allowed for clear visualizations of the lesions within the retrobulbar regions as well as the eyeballs in human patients [23] and in canine, feline, and bovine cases [4,5,17,24,25], and has been used postmortem in the bovine cases [5,24]. Additionally, computed tomography (CT) has been frequently used for dogs and cats with various ocular diseases [16,17].…”

Ophthalmic findings in a septic calf with the concurrent exhibition of meningitis and endophthalmitis

“…In veterinary medicine, ultrasonography has also been used to diagnose various ophthalmic diseases in cats, horses, goats, sheep, and camels [ 4 , 11 , 12 , 26 ]. Previous studies involving bovines have described the use of ocular ultrasonography to observe multiple congenital abnormalities [ 17 , 29 ]. However, endophthalmitis in bovine cases has not previously been evaluated using ocular ultrasonography.…”

“…However, based on our experience, this trans-palpebral technique may make it difficult to perform the scanning accurately because of the movements of the eyelid during examination [ 23 ]. General anesthesia and sedation have not been commonly used for the ruminants when examined by ocular ultrasonography [ 10 , 11 , 12 , 16 , 17 , 25 , 28 ]. Examination with uses of general anesthesia and sedation may make it difficult to provide the diagnosable image including the optimal axis (the lens-vitreous body-optic disc) [ 16 ].…”