A 12-week-old female Bengal kitten presented with vomiting and weight loss. Imaging revealed pyloric wall thickening and free abdominal gas. Exploratory laparotomy identified a full-thickness pyloric perforation without gross mass formation. Limited debridement, biopsy, and primary closure were performed, and histopathology confirmed feline gastrointestinal eosinophilic sclerosing fibroplasia (FGESF). The kitten recovered and survived for at least 401 days, although recurrence was suspected on postoperative day 333. This appears to be the youngest reported FGESF case and documents prolonged survival following FGESF-associated gastric perforation, highlighting the importance of considering FGESF even in young cats and suggesting that limited debridement and primary closure may be feasible in carefully selected cases.
Colic surgery in pregnant broodmares raises concerns not only for maternal survival but also for fetal outcome. Although several studies have reported foaling rates after colic surgery and the influence of perioperative factors on pregnancy outcome, the findings remain inconsistent. This study aimed to determine the foaling rate following colic surgery in Thoroughbred broodmares and to evaluate the effects of perioperative factors and gestational stage on pregnancy outcome. Medical records of Thoroughbred broodmares that underwent colic surgery at Shadai Horse Clinic from 2014 to 2024 were retrospectively reviewed. Data collected included mare age, gestational stage, diagnosis category, intraoperative hypotension, hypoxemia, anesthetic maintenance technique (inhalation anesthesia alone or inhalation anesthesia combined with partial intravenous anesthesia), duration of general anesthesia, postoperative administration of altrenogest, postoperative complications (diarrhea and catheter-associated jugular phlebitis), postoperative signs of endotoxemia, and pregnancy outcome. The overall foaling rate was 69.6% (110/158). The occurrence of intraoperative hypotension in late-gestational mares (P=0.036) were significantly associated with negative pregnancy outcome in univariate analysis, whereas most other perioperative factors showed no significant association. The occurrence of intraoperative hypoxemia was significantly higher in the late-gestational mares, however it did not affect pregnancy outcome. In conclusion, the foaling rate following colic surgery in pregnant Thoroughbred broodmares was comparable to that reported in previous studies. These findings suggest that intraoperative hypotension may warrant particular attention in late-gestation mare undergoing colic surgery.
An ovarian mass was incidentally identified in a 1-month-old Holstein calf during surgery for an urachal abscess. Grossly, the mass consisted of two closely apposed nodules. Histologically, it showed solid to sheet-like proliferation of large luteal cell-like neoplastic cells admixed with smaller cells morphologically resembling small luteal cells. The neoplastic cells were positive for vimentin and Melan A, and negative for inhibin-α, supporting a luteal phenotype. Pan-cytokeratin expression was weak in large cells but strong in smaller cells, a pattern broadly resembling that observed in bovine corpora lutea at different developmental stages. The lesion was diagnosed as a luteoma. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of a luteoma occurring as a distinct ovarian neoplasm in a prepubertal calf, raising the possibility of aberrant luteal differentiation in the developing ovary.
Agatharesinol (AR) and sequirin C (SC) are representative norlignans derived from Cryptomeria japonica that exhibit antioxidant properties. However, their biological applications in animal systems remain unclear. This study evaluated the effects of AR and SC supplementation during in vitro maturation (IVM) on porcine oocyte maturation, fertilization, and embryonic development in vitro. Cumulus-oocyte complexes were cultured with AR or SC at various concentrations, followed by in vitro fertilization and embryo culture. Both compounds improved maturation, fertilization, and blastocyst formation rates compared with the controls. Optimal concentrations were 0.5 and 5 µM for AR and SC, respectively. Therefore, AR or SC supplementation during IVM improved oocyte maturation and was associated with improved subsequent embryonic development, highlighting the potential of norlignan-type compounds as novel bioactive agents for improving in vitro embryo production.
Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a zoonotic pathogen, but recent nationwide data in Korean wild boars are limited. We investigated HEV RNA in 997 serum samples collected during 2024-2025. Sequence-confirmed HEV was identified in 46 animals (4.6%). Positivity was highest in autumn (7.7%); at the regional level, the highest positivity was observed in Jeolla (7.0%). Positivity was higher in the 20-40 and 40-60 kg groups (7.0% and 7.7%) than in >60 kg animals (2.8%). All 46 sequences belonged to genotype 4, clustering mainly with subtype 4a and partly with subtype 4d reference strains. One wild-boar sequence showed 97.6% nucleotide identity with a Korean human HEV-4 strain. These findings provide a recent nationwide update and support continued molecular surveillance of HEV in Korean wild boars.
