Scleromyxedema-like syndrome with systemic involvement in a cat.

Scleromyxedema--the generalized form of lichen myxedematosus, a primary mucinosis--is a rare disease in human patients. It is characterized by dermal mucin deposits, increased numbers of fibroblasts, and variable fibrosis in the absence of thyroid disease. It is accompanied in 80% of cases by a monoclonal gammopathy. To date, scleromyxedema with systemic involvement has not been documented in domestic animals. This is the first report of a scleromyxedema-like syndrome in a cat, which had a substantial deposition of mucin in the dermis of the head and paws with a mild gammaglobulinemia of 2.25 g/dl (reference range, 1.39-2.22 g/dl). At necropsy, multiple nodules of connective tissue intermingled with mucin deposits were conspicuous on the surface of thoracic and abdominal organs. Such severe systemic accumulations of mucin have not been reported in human or veterinary medicine.

[Autochthonous cases of canine babesiosis in the canton Solothurn]. / Autochthone Fälle von caniner Babesiose im Kanton Solothurn.

Starting in November 2003 a series of five clinical cases of canine babesiosis was registered in the region of Obergösgen (canton Solothurn). All presented dogs showed increased body temperature, thrombocytopenia and hemoglobinuria, and none of the dogs had been abroad or visited endemic regions in the southern or western part of Switzerland so far. Babesia canis was detected in the blood smears of all five patients, but only three had detectable specific antibodies against this parasite. However, seroconversion was found in a second sample collected from the negative dogs at a later timepoint, confirming the diagnosis of canine babesiosis. The blood samples of two parasitized dogs were used for DNA-isolation and were tested with a Babesia-specific PCR, detecting the 18S rRNA-gene. Sequencing of the amplified products revealed a 100% identity with the sub-species B. canis canis. The ticks Rhipicephalus sanguineus and Dermacentor marginatus are potential vectors for B. canis. In the area where the infection with B. canis was suspected a total of 152 ticks was collected and characterized; one was a female R. sanguineus.Although babesia could not be detected in the latter tick and the final prooffor the complete life cycle is still lacking, it is very probable that B. canis has become autochthonous in the canton Solothurn.

[Salter-II fracture of the proximal tibia with avulsion of the tuberositas tibiae in the dog]. / Salter-II-Fraktur der proximalen Tibia mit Avulsion der Tuberositas tibiae beim Hund.

The combination of a fracture of the proximal tibia (Salter-Harris type II) with an avulsion of the tibial tuberosity is a rare injury in the growing dog. Internal fixation of the tibial plateau with K-wires, in some cases combined with a tension band wire for the avulsed tuberosity, resulted in complete healing. There is the possibility of developing growing deformities, therefore control radiographs should routinely be taken in 10 days intervals.

Inhibition of coenzyme activation of aspartate aminotransferase.

Forty compounds were surveyed for their effect on the activation of pig heart apoaspartate aminotransferase by pyridoxamine 5'-phosphate. Most of the nucleotides, sugar phosphates, coenzymes, phospholipid precursors and inorganic oxyanions tested were found to be inhibitory. With few exceptions, the only requirement for a substance to be inhibitory is the presence of a di- or polyanionic moiety analogous to the 5'-phosphate group of the cofactor. In spite of the lack of overall structural similarity to pyridoxamine 5'-phosphate, inorganic pyrophospate and apparently other inhibitors are characterized by dissociation constants comparable in magnitude to that previously reported for the natural cofactor. The physiological significance of the inhibition of coenzyme activation of apoaspartate aminotransferase by these common biological compounds is not known.