Chronic Bovine Traumatic Reticuloperitonitis

A two-year-old Angus bull presented with chronic weight loss and numerous masses in the submandibular, retropharyngeal and cervical regions. Physical examination and laboratory work were inconclusive, but needle aspiration and drainage of one of the masses revealed abscessation. The cause of the abscesses was unknown, and the bull was treated empirically with procaine penicillin for one week. His condition progressively deteriorated, therefore he was euthanized. Postmortem examination revealed chronic traumatic reticuloperitonitis (TRP) with extensive abscessation of the diaphragm, submandibular, retropharyngeal and cervical lymph nodes. Diagnosis in this case was elusive because the history and clinical signs were non-specific, and the peripheral lymph node abscesses were not considered a typical finding associated with TRP. It is unknown whether an antemortem diagnosis and more aggressive treatment would have resulted in a different outcome, given the chronicity of the case at presentation.
The Bovine Practitioner, Vol. 42, No. 2 (2008 Summer)