Ultrasonographic description of tendons and ligaments at the palmar (plantar) aspect of the distal limb in the one humped camel (Camelus dromedarius).

OBJECTIVE: To provide complete anatomical and ultrasonographic description of tendons and ligaments at the palmar (plantar) aspect of the cannon and phalangeal regions of the one-humped camel. DESIGN: Forty-two (21 fore and 21 hind) clinically normal camel cadavers' limbs disarticulated at the carpal and tarsal joints and three clinically normal mature camels were included in the study. Six cadaver limbs (three fore and three hind) were dissected, and another six limbs specimens (three fore and three hind) were frozen at -20° for 1 week then sectioned transversely with an electric band saw at different distances distal to the carpometacarpal and tarsometatarsal joints. The ultrasonographic study was carried out on the live camels and 30 cadaveric limbs. The shape, echogenicity and measurements (thickness, width and cross-sectional area) of superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT), deep digital flexor tendon (DDFT), suspensory ligament (SL), and sesamoidean ligaments were recorded and the differences in values between live animals and cadaveric specimens were statistically analysed. RESULTS: The shape and echogenicity of SDFT, DDFT, and SL, varied between proximal, middle, and distal thirds of the cannon bone and the phalangeal region. There was no significant difference between live animal and cadaveric specimens. CONCLUSION: This study provided complete description of tendons and ligaments at the palmar (plantar) aspect of the cannon and phalangeal region of the one humped camel. The data obtained serves as a reference guide for practicing veterinarians and for future studies on injury to ligaments and tendons of camel's distal extremity.

Biochemical changes in the follicular fluid of the dominant follicle of high producing dairy cows exposed to heat stress early post-partum.

High yielding dairy cows experience a negative energy balance (NEB) early post-partum and it was hypothesized that this may be aggravated under summer heat stress (HS) conditions. In this study, which was performed in Egypt, 20 Holstein cows were followed during summer (n=10) and winter (n=10) seasons. All cows were multiparous and kept at the same herd. Blood was sampled from each cow starting 1 week before the expected calving date and then at 1-week intervals until week 6 post-partum. From week 2 to 6 post-partum follicular fluid was collected through transvaginal follicular fluid aspiration at 6 days intervals. Ambient air temperature (AT) and relative humidity (RH) were recorded and temperature-humidity index (THI) was calculated as well. Respiration rate (RR), rectal temperature (RT), and body condition score (BCS) were recorded for each cow at the time of blood sampling. Concentrations of glucose, insulin like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), urea and total cholesterol (TC) were measured in each blood and follicular fluid sample. All the cows showed a significantly higher RR and RT in summer (95.5+/-1.1 and 39.88+/-0.06, respectively) than in winter (43.89+/-0.61 and 38.94+/-0.07, respectively) (P<0.001). Body condition score loss during the early post-partum period was higher in summer than in winter (1.1+/-0.07 vs. 0.85+/-0.06 point, respectively) (P<0.001). The average dominant follicle diameter was significantly lower in summer than in winter during the period of negative energy balance (11.6+/-0.7mm vs. 15.3+/-1.2mm, respectively) (P<0.01). Under summer heat stress, the concentrations of glucose (2.98+/-0.07 and 2.19+/-0.04mmol/L), IGF-1 (106.7+/-2.9 and 99.0+/-3.4ng/ml) and TC (137.3+/-5.3 and 62.2+/-5.1mg/dl) in blood and FF, respectively, were significantly lower than winter concentrations by (0.17+/-0.03mmol/L, P<0.001 and 0.26+/-0.06mmol/L, P<0.001), (12.3+/-3.6ng/ml, P<0.001 and 9.0+/-2.7ng/ml, P<0.001) and (20.7+/-1.8mg/dl, P<0.001 and 7.3+/-1.1mg/dl, P<0.01), respectively. However, the concentrations of NEFA (0.68+/-0.14 and 0.22+/-0.02mmol/L) and urea (9.27+/-0.34 and 9.96+/-0.25mmol/L) in blood and FF, respectively, were significantly higher in summer compared to winter (0.50+/-0.08mmol/L, P<0.001 and 0.20+/-0.02mmol/L, P<0.001) and (8.77+/-0.23mmol/L, P<0.05 and 8.96+/-0.29mmol/L, P<0.001), respectively, throughout the experimental period. The results of the present study indicate that heat stress early post-partum aggravates NEB in high yielding dairy cows, reduces BCS, dominant follicle diameter and alters the biochemical concentrations in the follicular fluid of the dominant follicle which may result in inferior oocyte and granulosa cell quality and hence poorer fertility.

Successful use of blunt microdissection catheter in a chronic total occlusion of a celiomesenteric artery.

Chronic mesenteric ischemia is often a disabling condition associated with intestinal angina, weight loss, and sitophobia (a morbid aversion of food). Significant stenosis of two of the three main arteries of the gut is usually required to produce symptoms. Surgical therapy has included reimplantation and bypass grafting, usually with synthetic conduits and occasionally endarterectomy. Newer techniques have made endovascular treatment an emerging modality in managing some of the difficult lesions in the mesenteric circulation that cause chronic mesenteric ischemia. We describe the first reported case of blunt microdissection using a Frontrunner XP(R) CTO Catheter (Lumend, Redwood City, CA) to successfully cross, subsequently wire and stent a four-year-old chronic total occlusions in a celiac trunk, which also gave origin to the superior mesenteric artery.

Hearing screening of infants at King Fahd Hospital of the University.

The detection of hearing impairment in neonatal life and prompt intervention prevents the hazards of physical and developmental delay in speech. During a 12-month period between April 1987 and March 1988, the hearing of 151 well babies and 30 high-risk babied aged 6 to 12 months attending the pediatric clinics of King Fahd Hospital of the University (KFHU), Al-Khobar, were screened. The modified Ewing-Stykar test was performed on all babies. Tympanometry, stapedial reflex, and brainstem evoked response (BERA) were carried out in the well babies who failed the screening test and in all high-risk babies. The failure rate was found to be 4.6% and 43.3% and the validity index 71.4% and 92.3% for the well and high-risk babies, respectively. The results of this limited study encourages us to recommend the implementation of this screening test in all the well baby and the high-risk baby clinics in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.