Todayโs path rounds are on ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ฅ ๐ฆ๐๐๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง!
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ?
๐
๐๐ญ๐๐ฅ ๐ฆ๐๐๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง is an interesting process that happens when the uterine environment becomes infected. Unfortunately, the fetus does not survive this process.
๐๐ก๐จ ๐ ๐๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ?
We most commonly see this in cattle, but any species can be affected!
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ?
Fetal maceration results when a bacteria or parasite is introduced into the uterus during conception. During early life, the embryo succumbs to the infection, however there is no trigger to the mother that the fetus has died. Therefore, the fetus stays within the uterus, being destroyed by the bacteria infection. In most cases, all that remains of the fetus by the time it is expelled are bones and hair.
๐๐ก๐ฒ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฆ?
Unfortunately for the mother, the infection also affects their uterine wall. This can result in severe inflammation and even scar tissue formation as the uterus tries to heal itself. In some cases, the bones from the fetus can puncture the uterine wall, allowing the infected material to leak into the abdomen, causing a severe ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐จ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ฌ (inflammation of the abdominal lining).
๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐ข๐๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ฌ๐๐?
Diagnosis is pretty easy, as eventually the mother will expel a pus-filled placenta with several bones and wads of hair. Fetal maceration is also accompanied by an absolutely awful smell ๐คฎ
๐๐ก๐จ๐ญ๐จ๐ฌ
1-4) Examples of macerated fetuses! A pus soup with bones in it, basically. Yum.
๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐๐ฌ
Maxie, G. Jubb, Kennedy and Palmerโs Pathology of Domestic Animals, Volume 3. Sixth Edition.
Photos 1-4 ยฉ Noahโs Arkive contributor Jakowski, Luginbuhl, Leathers licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
