Case Report: Clinical, laboratory and pathological findings in cows with osteomyelitis of the ribs and sternum and endocarditis valvularis thromboticans

Fanny Rachidi^1*Abass Elhadi^1,2Lilli Bittner-Schwerda¹Melanie Schären-Bannert¹Gábor Köller¹Jan Schinköthe³Anna Majcher³Benjamin Diehl³Florian Hansmann³Tilman Kühn¹Alexander Starke¹

• ¹Department for Ruminants and Swine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
• ²Department of Surgery and Anaesthesia, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Khartoum, Khartoum North, Khartoum, Sudan, Khartoum, Sudan
• ³Institute of Veterinary Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Lower Saxony, Germany

The etiologic relationship of osteomyelitis (OM) of the ribs and sternum and endocarditis valvularis thromboticans (EVT) in dairy cattle was assessed using clinical, ultrasonographic, bacteriologic, and postmortem findings.Five dairy cows (2nd - 6th lactation, 135 – 304 days in milk, 490 - 630 kg) were admitted to our clinic because of poor production and body condition. Clinical examination revealed abnormalities of the circulatory and locomotor system and ribs and sternum. Ultrasonographic examination of the heart, ribs and sternum were performed, and samples were collected for laboratory analyses. The cows underwent an orthopedic examination and bacteriologic testing of blood (N = 5), abscesses of the ribs or sternum (N = 3), and synovia (N = 2). All five cows were euthanized because of a poor prognosis, and a postmortem examination was carried out. During postmortem examination, samples were collected from endocardial lesions (N = 4) and from abscesses of the ribs and or sternum (N = 2) that had not been accessible intra vitam.The physical condition of the cows suggested a chronic metastatic disease with pyemia. All cows had OM of the ribs or sternum and EVT as well as other inflammatory diseases including arthritis (N = 4, tendovaginitis (N = 2), and abscesses (N = 2). The clinical diagnoses were confirmed at postmortem examination. Bacteriologic examination revealed Trueperella pyogenes in rib and sternal lesions (N = 5), blood culture (N = 3), endocardial lesions (N = 3), and samples from the uterus, kidney, spleen and muscle (N = 4).Our results emphasize the importance of ruling out EVT in cattle with lesions of the ribs and sternum. Ultrasonographic and microbiologic examinations aid in diagnosis and allow determination of the extent and severity of changes. These findings indicate that apostematous inflammation of the ribs or sternum may represent a potential primary source of infection. However, given the polymorbid condition of the animals, a secondary origin cannot be ruled out, completely.