Multiple Congenital Anomalies in a Calf

Abstract

A 4-hour-old mixed-breed black heifer calf produced from in vitro fertilization and born via Caesarian section 6 days prior to the anticipated due date was euthanized because of multiple obvious congenital anomalies and an inability to stand. The number of congenital anomalies was remarkable and included anal and vulvar atresia, hypoplastic clitoral tissue, cervical block vertebrae, anotia, brachygnathia inferior, secondary cleft palate, calvarial doming with hydrocephalus and stenosis of the Sylvian aqueduct, high ventricular septal defect, rectovaginal fistula, and dermal hamartomas.Few previous reports of congenital anomalies in calves have documented the number and the severity of those seen in this calf. Because development of tissues and organs is interdependent, it is not uncommon for more than 1 anomaly to appear in an animal. In this calf, several rarely reported anomalies, such as anotia, vulvar atresia, and dermal hamartomas, were evident; these anomalies have not been previously documented in cattle.An oocyst from an apparently healthy slaughterhouse cow was fertilized with sperm from a transgenic bull and implanted in a 16-month-old recipient heifer on day 8 of embryo development. Gestation proceeded without any clinical evidence of difficulty. The dam was vaccinated a against infectious bovine rhinotracheitis, parainfluenza virus, bovine viral diarrhea virus, bovine respiratory syncytial virus, and 5 strains of leptospires (canicola, grippotyphosa, hardjo, icterohaemorrhagiae, pomona) and treated with an anthelmintic b 60 days prior to utilization as the recipient dam. An Escherichia coli, bovine coronavirus, and rotavirus vaccine was administered 8 weeks and 4 weeks prior to the anticipated parturition date. c A second injection of anthelmintic was also administered 8 weeks prior to the expected parturition.This calf was euthanized because of the presence of anal and vulvar atresia, which are incompatible with life. Necropsy results confirmed the presence of additional external anomalies for this small-term calf, including hypoplastic clitoris, meconium-filled perivulvar subcutaneous sac, short neck, aplasia of the external, middle, and inner ear canals (anotia), brachygnathia inferior, secondary cleft palate, calvarial doming, and locally extensive alopecia over the dorsal cranium.Internal congenital anomalies included stenosis of the Sylvian aqueduct resulting in severe bilateral congenital internal hydrocephalus (Fig. 1), bilateral agenesis of the tympanic bullae, a large and high ventricular septal defect, bilateral hypoplastic ovaries (right, 1.5 cm long; left, 1.7 cm long), Present address: Animal Health Laboratory, Laboratory Services Division, University of Guelph, Box 3612, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1H 6R8 (Newman).Received for publication July 14, 1998. and a rectovaginal fistula (Fig. 2) associated with the imperforate anus and vulva. This fistula had resulted in the production of a meconium-filled cloaca, which protruded externally as a pendulous subcutaneous sac containing rudimentary ...

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