Ultrasonographic verification of hepatic hydatidosis in a female dromedary camel: a case report

Fundamentals of diagnostic ultrasonography in sheep and goat medicine: a comprehensive illustrated overview

This illustrated review emphasizes the fundamentals of diagnostic ultrasonography in sheep and goat medicine. The procedure can effectively assess the thoracic and abdominal organs in both healthy and diseased states. The review discusses five main sections. The first one clarifies the principles of pulmonary sonography in sheep and goats followed by image finding in animals with respiratory disorders including pneumonia, pleuropneumonia, lung abscessation and pleuritis. Second section shows the fundamentals of echography in sheep and goats followed by scanning of animals with cardiovascular disorders including heart failure, fibrinous pericarditis, endocarditis and nutritional muscular dystrophy. Third section of this review discusses the principles of gastrointestinal sonography in sheep and goats followed by picture in some digestive disorders including peritonitis, enteritis and retroperitoneal abscessation. Fourth part shows the basics in hepatic and biliary tissue followed by sonography of sheep and goats with hepatic and biliary disorders including fatty liver, hepatitis cysticercosis, cholangitis, cholecystitis, cholestasis and choledocholithiasis. Last section of this review discusses the fundamentals of urinary system ultrasonography followed by imaging of the urinary disorders including renal failure, hydronephrosis, pyelonephritis, obstructive urolithiasis, cystitis and paralysis of the urinary bladder. In conclusion, ultrasonography of either healthy or diseased sheep or goats is very useful for assessing the normal structure and function of both healthy and dysfunctional organs. It is highly recommended to adopt this procedure as a standard preliminary method for examining sheep and goats with any medical condition.

Identification of tampering methods among 12,385 Arabian camels using different diagnostic imaging techniques

Background

Tampering is an illegal manipulation of Arabian (dromedary) camels for cosmetic purposes and to increase their market value. Because of the tremendous prizes awarded to the owners of the winning camels, methods of illegal tampering were frequently developed in camel beauty festivals. The detection of such practices constitutes a significant challenge for veterinarians supervising these festivals. One of these challenges is the large number of examined camels at beauty festivals. The second is the disappearance of injected hormones in the blood from days to months after their preliminary injection. Such challenges may be faced by using well-trained and professional veterinarians as well as developing new recent and advanced laboratory techniques that can discover traces of injected hormones or even blood proteins released as a result of specific hormone injection.

Aim

This study was conducted to document the most frequently used methods of illegal practices of tampering in dromedary camels and their detection by different methods, including (1) physical examination, (2) diagnostic imaging of ultrasonography, radiography, and thermography, and (3) hormonal analysis.

Methods

A total number of 12,385 dromedary camels (12,080 females and 305 males) were examined for detection of different illegal manipulations of tampering. The camels were examined at two points: external and internal. This study was conducted in Saudi Arabia during the events of the 7th King Abdulaziz Camel Festival, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from December 28, 2022 to January 12, 2023.

Results

The suspected camels were examined using different methods, including sonography, thermography, radiography, and blood examinations. Of the 12,385 examined camels, 943 (7.6%) (921 females and 22 males) were confirmed to have different forms of tampering. These forms included stretching of the lips in 499 camels (52.9%), binding of the lips in 139 camels (14.7%), injection of the nose by a filler material in 121 camels (12.8%), increased testosterone level in 74 camels (7.8%), injection of the lips by filler material in 60 camels (6.4%), fibrosis of the nostril in 33 camels (3.5%), and fibrosis of the lips in 17 camels (1.8%).

Conclusion

A combination of clinical examination with sonography, radiography, thermography, and laboratory evaluation of testosterone and growth hormones is recommended for the detection of different forms of illegal manipulations of tampering in dromedary camels. There is no doubt that these illegal practices will negatively affect the welfare of camels and can lead to many physical and psychological drawbacks.

Renal abscessation in dromedary camels: Clinical, ultrasonographic, hematobiochemical, and etiological investigations

Background

Although renal abscessation is rarely reported in dromedary camels, it is increasingly detected in this species.

Aim

This study aimed to investigate renal abscessation in camels with special emphasis on ultrasonographic findings and causative agents.

Methods

Seventeen diseased camels (Camelus dromedarius) were examined. In addition, 10 healthy camels were used as the control group. A jugular puncture was performed to collect blood in EDTA tubes and serum samples. The thorax and abdomen were examined via transcutaneous and transrectal ultrasound. A free-hand ultrasound-guided aspiration technique using a 14G × 170 mm spinal biopsy needle was used for aspiration of the renal lesion content.

Results

The signs of diseased camels included general gradual and/or progressive weakness, inappetence or anorexia, passage of dry feces, dysuria, bloody feces, lameness, bloody urine, and abdominal pain. Neutrophilic leukocytosis is the most significant hematological abnormality. Significant biochemical alterations included hyperproteinemia, azotemia, hyperglycemia, and increased serum alkaline phosphatase activity. Single or multiple renal abscesses were visualized sonographically compressing the renal parenchyma. Three abscesses measuring 5.2-15.0 cm were scanned in 2 camels; one affected the left and the other affected the right kidneys. In addition, two abscesses were imaged in 2 camels; both are affecting the left kidney. However, single abscesses measuring 3.6-14.0 cm in length were recorded in the remaining 13 camels; nine in the right and four in the left kidneys. The contents of the abscesses were hyperechogenic in 8 cases, hypoechoic in 4, isoechoic with hyperechoic foci in 3 cases, and heterogenous in 2. In 4 of the 17 diseased camels, hyperechoic urine and echogenic deposits were found within the urinary bladder. Bacteriological examination showed pure growth of Staphylococcus lugdunensis in 10 coagulase-negative isolates, Staphylococcus aureus in 5 coagulase-positive isolates, and 2 unidentified Staphylococcus species.

Conclusion

Sonography is extremely helpful for verifying renal abscesses and is a good guide for abscess aspiration in dromedary camels. The isolation of S. lugdunensis from camel renal abscessation in this study was significant because of the zoonotic nature of this organism.

Diagnostic utility of ultrasonography for thoracic and abdominal bacterial and parasitic diseases in ruminants: a comprehensive overview

This review article describes the roles of ultrasound in assessing thoracic and abdominal infectious diseases, mainly bacterial and parasitic ones that affect farm animals, including cattle, camels, sheep, and goats. Ultrasonography is a non-invasive imaging technique used to diagnose infectious diseases affecting the cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, urinary, and hepatobiliary systems. In cases of thoracic and abdominal infections, ultrasound typically reveals abnormalities in echogenicity and echotexture, the presence of unusual artifacts, and mass formation exerting pressure on surrounding structures. Inflammatory and degenerative changes within the viscera can be identified ultrasonographically by comparing the echogenicity of affected areas with that of the surrounding normal parenchyma, such as in fascioliasis. Bacterial and parasitic infections often result in capsular mass lesions with anechoic contents, as observed in hydatid cysts and cysticercosis, or varying echogenic contents, as observed in liver abscesses. Effusions within the pericardium, pleura, and peritoneum are common ultrasonographic findings in infectious thoracic and abdominal diseases. However, these effusions' echogenicity does not always allow for clear differentiation between transudates and exudates. The routine use of ultrasonography in the evaluation of the chest and abdomen in affected or suspected ruminants is highly beneficial for detection, guiding therapeutic decisions, assessing prognosis, and aiding in the eradication of highly contagious diseases that cause significant economic losses.

Red urine syndrome in dromedary camels: Clinical, etiological, hematobiochemical sonographic, and pathologic findings

Background

Although blood urine is frequently observed in dromedary camels, little attention is gained and only it was reported as case reports.

Aim

This study was carried out to examine dromedary camels suffering from red urine syndrome from the points of clinical, etiological, hematobiochemical, ultrasonographic, and pathological characteristics.

Methods

Thirty-one camels with red urine and fifteen controls were enrolled. With a duration ranging from five days to nine months, clinical manifestations included weakness, red discoloration of the urine, dribbling of urine, straining during urination, and abdominal pain. Blood was sampled in ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid and plain tubes.

Results

The urine red color intensity was marked in 23 camels. In five camels discolored red urine was moderate while red urine was voided intermittently in the remaining three camels. The wide stance of the hind legs and pain reactions during urination were recorded in 18 camels. In all 31 camels, urine samples were centrifuged and sedimentation of red deposits was found. Nephrolithiasis was detected in three animals. One female camel had bilateral hydronephrosis. Hyperechoic urine was imaged within the renal pelvis in seven camels. In addition, hypoechoic fluid was imaged within the peritoneal cavity in 8 animals. A ruptured and collapsed urinary bladder was found in two male camels. In addition, bilateral pyelonephritis was found in another male camel. Abscessation of the left and right kidneys confirmed by ultrasound-guided aspiration was confirmed in 3 and 2 females, respectively. Peri-renal abscessation of the right kidney was detected in a female camel. A large, misshaped hypoechoic mass involving the right kidney was found in 1 female. A large mass king neoplasia was also imaged in a female camel distal to and compressing the left kidney, which proved histologically to be a leiomyoma. Moderate to severe thickening and corrugation of the urinary bladder mucosa were detected in 18 of the diseased camels.

Conclusion

This study's syndrome of red urine in camels resulted mainly from hematuria. The existing etiologies were nephrolithiasis, cystitis, pyelonephritis, peri-renal and renal abscessation, and renal neoplasia. Ultrasonography was superior in assessing the renal parenchyma and urinary bladder for the verification of the existing nephrolithiasis, hydronephrosis, pyelonephritis, peri-renal and renal abscessation, cystitis, and ruptured or perforated bladder.

Alkheraif A. Ultrasonographic evaluation of thoracic and abdominal neoplasia in domestic ruminants: A systemic review

There is a lack of literature on the usefulness of ultrasonography in the diagnosis and prognosis of thoracic and abdominal neoplasia in domestic ruminants, such as cattle, camels, sheep, and goats. This review aims to shed light on the current applications and prospects of ultrasonography in the diagnosis of thoracic and abdominal neoplasia in domestic ruminants. The scientific literature on ultrasonographic evaluation of the thoracic and abdominal neoplasia in domestic ruminants has been systematically reviewed to verify the potential role of ultrasonography in diagnosing such neoplasia. Based on the literature results, cattle (71.03%) were the most affected animals by thoracic and abdominal neoplasia, followed by sheep (11.86%), goats (11.57%), and camels (5.54%). In all included species, the abdominal neoplasia was more frequent (6.18%) than the thoracic neoplasia (2.97%), and the most frequent neoplasms were forestomach neoplasia. It is concluded that ultrasonography is not widely used in diagnosing thoracic and abdominal neoplasia in ruminant practice. Using ultrasonography in conjunction with guided needle aspiration and biopsy can offer veterinarians the opportunity for more precise diagnosis and treatment decisions guidance of thoracic and abdominal neoplasia in domesticated ruminants.

Abdominal fat necrosis in a female dromedary camel: Clinical, hematobiochemical, sonographic, and pathologic findings

Background

Abdominal fat necrosis is mostly an incidental finding during rectal examination manifested by the presence of hard necrotic masses of different sizes. Differential diagnosis includes gastrointestinal neoplasia, abdominal abscessation and mummified fetuses. This report describes the clinical, hematological, biochemical, sonographic, and pathologic findings in a female Arabian camel (Camelus dromedaries) with abdominal fat necrosis.

Case Description

A 7-year-old female dromedary camel was presented for examination because of weakness and progressive weight loss since months ago. Anthelmintics, analgesics, broad-spectrum antimicrobials, anti-inflammatories and stomachics were administered, but did not result in significant improvement. Preliminary examination of the case revealed emaciation with a body condition score of 2.5 (scale 1-5). The cardiopulmonary, digestive, and urinary systems were evaluated transcutaneously by sonography in the recumbent position. Multiple echogenic masses-located within the intestinal loops were observed alongside few hypoechogenic masses. A hyperechogenic peritoneal effusion and enlarged mesenteric lymph nodes were also detected. Decreased hematocrit value, normocytic normochromic anemia, neutrophilic leukocytosis, hypoalbuminemia, hhyperglobulinemia, hyperglycemia, hyponatremia, and hyperkalemia were detected. A free-hand, ultrasound-guided biopsy was examined histopathologically and revealed multiple abdominal fat necrosis, severe fibrosis, and pancreatitis.

Conclusion

It is concluded that, transabdominal ultrasonography in camels was valuable for suspicious of abdominal mesenteric masses and helpful in sampling of a representative biopsy specimen However, histological examination of the biopsy remains the final diagnostic method.

Depraved appetite in dromedary camels: Clinical, ultrasonographic, and postmortem findings

Background

Camels are subjected to a wide variety of nutritional deficiencies as they are largely dependent upon grazing desert plants. As a consequence, the syndrome of pica or depraved appetite is occasionally seen in dromedary camels. The condition is manifested as chewing or eating abnormal things such as wood, dirt, bones, stones, clothes, plastics, mud, sand, or other inanimate objects.

Aim

This study was designed to investigate the clinical, ultrasonographic, and postmortem findings in dromedary camels with pica or depraved appetite.

Methods

Twenty-five camels of 5 days to 15 years were examined. Owner complaints included depraved appetite, loss of body condition, regurgitation of stomach content, and partial or complete absence of feces. Symptoms described were present for a period varying between 3 days, up to 12 months. The stomach compartments and small and large intestines were scanned using ultrasonography from the right and left sides of the abdomen. Necropsy was carried out on six female and three male camels where the thoracic and abdominal organs were examined with special attention to the digestive system.

Results

The affected animals had a history of gradual loss of body conditions, eating foreign objects, decreased or total absence of feces, and regurgitation of stomach content. Using ultrasound, the foreign body was imaged occluding completely or partially the intestines. Foreign bodies within the rumen could not be visualized with ultrasound. In cases where the rumen is impacted by sand, small pin-points revealing acoustic enhancement were imaged. Foreign bodies were removed from the rumen at exploratory rumenotomy (n = 11), laparotomy (n = 3), or at necropsy (n = 8) in the form of plastics, cloths, sand, mud, wool balls, robes, glasses, or even metallic objects which may be blunt or sharp. Sixteen (64%) of the camels were recovered while the remaining 9 (36%) did not survive.

Conclusion

The syndrome of pica or depraved appetite is an important condition in dromedary resulting in the ingestion of objects other than normal feed. Substantial economic losses are expected as a result of this syndrome. Ultrasonography of the digestive system may help the clinician in some cases to localize of occluding foreign bodies in the intestines, while in the transabdominal scanning of the stomach is valuable only in cases of sand impaction.