Bilateral congenital lacrimal fistula in a Brown Swiss bull

Abstract

A five-year-old Brown Swiss bull was referred to the Department of Farm Animals, University of Zurich, because of bilateral epiphora that was unresponsive to treatment. Clinical examination revealed a fistulous opening medial to the medial canthus of both eyes and mucopurulent discharge from both openings. Attempts to flush the nasolacrimal duct via the lacrimal points resulted in the fluid exiting via the fistulous opening. Retrograde flushing of the nasolacrimal duct from the nasolacrimal opening resulted in the flush fluid flowing back out the nasolacrimal opening. Bilateral lacrimal fistula medial to the medial canthus of the eye was diagnosed based on the findings. The same anomaly was diagnosed a year later in 4 related female animals referred to our Department for other reasons. Three of the cases were sired by the bull described above and one was sired by his half-brother. Therefore, an autosomal recessive mode of inheritance of this anomaly was assumed. Clinical, epidemiological and molecular studies of the offspring of both bulls are underway to further investigate this anomaly.

Congenital nasolacrimal duct fistula in Brown Swiss cattle

“… 1 Four fistulae of two daughters of bull A could not be measured for technical reasons. 2 Bull A had bilateral fistula but is not listed here because he was described elsewhere (Braun et al [ 9 ]). 3 Bull C was no longer alive at the time of this study.…”

“…2 Bull A had bilateral fistula but is not listed here because he was described elsewhere (Braun et al [ 9 ]).…”

“…This included the 19-year-old dam (dam J) of bulls A, B and C, bull B, 255 direct female offspring of bulls A, B and C and eight other direct (n = 5) and indirect (n = 3) female offspring of dam J (Table 1 ). The findings of bull A with bilateral lacrimal fistula were described previously [ 9 ]. Bull C had been slaughtered before the study and therefore could not be examined.…”

“…Some were easily seen and surrounded by hairless skin and others were not visible. Bilateral nasolacrimal fistula was reported in a Holstein calf [ 8 ] and in a five-year-old Brown Swiss bull [ 9 ]. The latter case was an artificial insemination bull (bull A) that had been referred to our clinic because of conjunctivitis.…”