Surgical treatment of cranial meningocele in Iranian calves

Abstract

OVER a six-year period (1989 to 1995), 769 bovine surgical patients were treated at the authors' clinic. Among 56 animals with congenital defects, five calves were diagnosed with meningocele. Three underwent successful surgery, the other two were not treated.The first case was a five-day-old female Holstein calf born at term, which presented with a soft painless fluctuating swelling of about 12 cm diameter on the median plane in the frontal region. It was covered with hair and deep palpation disclosed a bony projection and a median 1-5 cm diameter hole. Aseptic puncture by needle permitted drainage of 450 ml red-tinged clear fluid. Further palpation revealed that the skin and subcutaneous tissues of the swelling were thicker than the surrounding skin and that the caudal border of the hole had a semicircular flap-like projection about 2.5 cm wide and 1-5 cm high, projecting rostrally. Corrective surgery was performed under deep sedation with xylazine and local analgesia with 2 per cent lignocaine hydrochloride. The calf was placed in sternal recumbency and the area prepared for aseptic surgery. An elliptical rostrocaudal skin incision was made as for an umbilical hernia repair. The underlying tissues, which had similarity to an internal hernial sac, were separated from the skin by blunt dissection and then resected leaving sufficient tissues to permit simple apposition and to cover the hole and projecting bone. The inner surface of the sac was smooth and glistening. Brain tissue was visible through the defect. The edges were apposed with inverting horizontal mattress sutures of 2-0 chromic catgut. The skin wound was closed by everting mattress sutures of 2-0 braided silk. The suture line was covered with a rolled piece of sterile gauze, fixed in place with three simple interrupted sutures. The entire operative area was kept covered by wrapping the extended corners of a piece of cloth around the neck and muzzle, as a 'four-tailed bandage'. Penicillin and streptomycin were given parenterally for five days. Recovery was uneventful, with no recurrence of the swelling and the skin sutures were removed 10 days after the operation.The second case was a two-day-old male hybrid calf (Holstein x local Iranian) which had a large flaccid swelling in the frontal region. The fluid contents (2-5 litres) were clear and colourless. Further palpation through the skin failed to reveal any hole at the suture line. The openings in the frontal bones over the site of the supra-orbital foramina were large, being 1-5 cm diameter on the left and 2 cm on the right. Corrective surgery was undertaken following acepromazine sedation and local analgesia using a ring block of 2 per cent lignocaine hydrochloride. The inner lining of FIG 1: Congenital cranial meningocele in a 22-day-old male hybrid calf (Holstein x local Iranian). The sac with normal skin and hair is hanging towards the left side, but has its base at the upper part of the median frontal line the sac comprised meninges herniating through a small vertical slit in the frontal suture ...

Congenital Giant Occipital Meningoencephalocele in A Holstein Calf Fetus

“…In the present report occipital meningoencephalocele in a 6-month-old Holstein fetus was defined with anatomo-pathological and radiological findings. Meningoencephalocele has also been described in other domestic animals such as horses, cattle, pigs, dogs, lambs and cats [4,[6][7][8][9][10][11] . Cranial localization is generally formed as frontal and occipital [1][2][3] .…”

Computer Tomography Diagnosis of Meningoencephalocele in a Calf

“…In animals, the meningoencephalocele has also been described in other domestic animals such as pigs, dogs and cats [7,[9][10][11]. In cattle, although both meningoencephalocele and meningocele have also been diagnosed by radiography and ultrasonography [1,4], their differentiation were not easy.…”

Surgical Repair of a Thoracic Meningocele in a Foal

“…In large animals, surgical correction has been described in four calves with cranial meningoceles, and a miniature horse with multiple congenital abnormalities including cervical meningomyelocele, spina bifida, and hydrocephaly 9–11 . In the calves, no complications were reported whereas the Miniature horse died a week after discharge.…”

“…8 In large animals, surgical correction has been described in four calves with cranial meningoceles, and a miniature horse with multiple congenital abnormalities including cervical meningomyelocele, spina bifida, and hydrocephaly. [9][10][11] In the calves, no complications were reported whereas the Miniature horse died a week after discharge. No complications occurred in our foal, however potential complications might include meningitis, neurologic deficits if nerve roots were disturbed or inadvertently included in the closure of the sac, seroma formation, incisional infection, and dehiscence.…”