Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Newborn calf with severe thymus enlargement and immune cell problems
By Fantinato, Eleonora et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary diagnostic investigation : official publication of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Inc·2013·Department of Veterinary Science and Public Health, Italy·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Severe thymic hyperplasia in a newborn calf associated with impaired T-cell differentiation.
- Species:
- cattle
Plain-English summary
A 1-day-old female Holstein-Friesian calf was brought in for severe breathing problems and swelling in her neck. Unfortunately, she died shortly after, and a necropsy revealed a very enlarged thymus gland, which is responsible for T-cell development. This condition, known as thymic hyperplasia, is rare and can lead to impaired immune function. The calf's thymus showed signs of abnormal development, which likely contributed to her respiratory distress.
People also search for: calf breathing problems · newborn calf swollen neck · thymic hyperplasia in calves · calf respiratory distress causes
Abstract
A 1-day-old female Holstein-Friesian calf was presented for severe dyspnea. Physical examination revealed respiratory distress, moderate edema of the ventral neck, and swollen jugular veins. The calf died and was submitted for necropsy. A severely enlarged thymus (40 cm × 20 cm × 10 cm) weighing 1.37 kg was detected on gross examination. Histomorphology was normal but no tingible body macrophages were observed in the medullary areas. Immunohistochemistry was characterized by the lack of thymic cluster of differentiation 3 and major histocompatibility complex class II expression compared to age-matched controls. The findings were consistent with severe thymic hyperplasia, a rare congenital condition that is also described in children. Immunohistochemical findings were suggestive of impaired T-cell development and selection associated with lack of apoptosis of thymic cells (lack of tingible body macrophages). Thymic hyperplasia in juvenile animals should be considered among the differential diagnoses of mediastinal masses as a rare cause of respiratory distress in newborn calves.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23864259/