LORI.bovine

Bovine mucometra/hydrometra

Keywords: adhesions, bovine, hydrometra, mucometra

Bilateral peri-uterine adhesions and fibrosis of the perimetrium/myometrium which appear to have caused distortion and mucometra.

Image size: 1023 X 1283 px

Dissection of the tract did not reveal a specific area of occlusion that would have resulted in this condition. It is possible that the inciting cause was fibrosis of the cervix itself. 

This condition should be referred to as mucometra because it is characterized by an accumulation of mucus; not water (hydro). It is not related to a chromosomal abnormality such as that in polled intersex goats i.e. the PIS syndrome. It is a rare condition in cattle, manifested by unilateral or bilateral distension of the uterus with clear fluid. Occasionally the fluid may contain clumps of inspissated tissue the nature of which have not been described.  In studies on slaughter plant specimens, mucometra occurred in about 0.1 to 0.8 percent of cattle.

Mucometra occurs in cattle as a result of adhesions or fibrosis (as seen here). It is also seen in cattle with segmental aplasia or in heifers with persistent hymens. Mucometra has also been linked to chronic cystic ovarian disease (COD) but is by no means, characteristic of that condition.

References:

Fathalla, M. et al 2000 An  abbatoir survey of gross reproductive abnormalities in the bovine genital tract in northern Jordan. Israel. J. Vet. Med. 55. No page numbers. Available on-line.

Roberts, S. J.1986. Veterinary obstetrics and genital diseases (Theriogenology). Published by the author.  ISBN-10: 9997670922. ISBN-13: 978-9997670922