VACTERL Association in a Female Pig (Sus scrofa domesticus)

VACTERL/VATER association is a condition defined by the presence of at least three of the following congenital malformations: vertebral defects (V), anal atresia (A), cardiac defects (C), tracheo-oesophageal fistula (TE), renal anomalies (R) and limb abnormalities (L). We describe a stillborn female piglet with cardiac anomalies, renal defects, vertebral anomalies, anal atresia and a single umbilical artery (SUA), which are the main features of VACTERL association. In addition, the piglet had a unilateral abdominal wall defect. This was the only affected animal in a litter of 16 piglets. The molecular inductive mechanisms of this disorder are discussed, as well as the comparative and embryological implications.