[Liver cirrhosis in young calves]

Among the cattle admitted to the II. Medizinische Tierklinik of the University of Munich during the years 1982-86, 38 calves of up to 6 weeks of age had a dystrophy (n=5), pre-cirrhosis (n=21) or cirrhosis (n=12) of the liver. Similar hepatic lesions were found in three 1- to 7-day-old calves and in 1 foetus aborted in the 7th month of gestation which were submitted for necropsy. Of the 38 patients (74% male, 87% German Fleckvieh) 25 had been ill since the first seven days of life (mean age on admittance: x=14 days). These hepatopathies showed no significant preponderance in regard to breed, sex or season. The general condition of the calves was moderately to severely disturbed. Catarrhal enteritis resistant to treatment was the main clinical finding in 32 of the 38 patients. Nine calves developed central nervous symptoms (delayed reflexes, impaired coordination, convulsions, opisthotonus). Neurohistological examination of one of these calves revealed massive astrocytic oedema, shrinkage of individual nerve cells and formation of the so-called hepatic glia (hepatoencephalopathy). Even in the last days before death icterus of the sclera was noted in only 11 of the 38 patients; of these, nine also displayed icterus of the mucous membranes. The calves died between the third day to seventh week of life; mean age at death 18 days. Haematological examination: in 12 cases mild to marked anaemia (but without signs of haemolysis), marked granulocytosis with a shift to the left in 20 cases, sometimes additionally neutrocytes with nuclei resembling Pelger's nuclear anomaly (pseudo-Pelger), granulocytes with basophilic stippling as well as lymphoidocytes. The blood glucose levels were usually markedly reduced. 15 calves had a pronounced refractory hypoglycaemia with blood glucose levels under 1,66 mmol/l. Neither albumin concentration nor the specific serum globulin fractions showed significant differences when compared to an age matched control group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)