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, 13:09, 26 May 2010
*[[Muscles Inflammatory - Pathology#Wooden tongue|"Wooden tongue"]]
*In cattle - very widespread in world, but rather sporadic, less common now than it was.
====Clinical====
*Seen in youngish animals in beef breed, especially sucklers on poor forage.
*Starts like [[Picornaviridae#Foot and Mouth Disease Virus|foot and mouth disease]] - dull, salivating (if only one animal is unlikely to foot and mouth). - nearly always sporadic.
*ongue feels like a big lump of wood especially dorsal part of posterior 2/3rds.
*Small areas of ulceration are often found on side of [[Oral Cavity - Tongue - Anatomy & Physiology|tongue]].
====Pathogenesis====
[[Image:woodentongue2.gif|right|thumb|125px|<small><center>'Sulpher body' of Actinobacillosis (Courtesy of Alun Williams (RVC))</center></small>]]
*Very similar to [[Teeth - Pathology#Mandibular Osteomyelitis|Mandibular Osteomyelitis]] ("lumpy jaw").
*'''Causal agent''': [[Actinobacillus lignieresii]] (small gram -ve) gets into [[Oral Cavity - Tongue - Anatomy & Physiology|tongue]] via small abrasions.
**Pathogen is very widespread in environment.
*Progressive disease - low virulence but high persistence so animal may stop eating and eventually die but can be treated.
====Pathology====
[[Image:Woodentongue1.gif|thumb|125px|<small><center>Fibrous Stroma - Cut Surface of actinobacillosis affected tongue (Courtesy of Alun Williams (RVC))</center></small>]]
*If cut into [[Oral Cavity - Tongue - Anatomy & Physiology|tongue]], substance of [[Oral Cavity - Tongue - Anatomy & Physiology|tongue]] changed to fibrous stroma with raised red nodules. (2-3mm across).
*This lesion is a pyogenic granuloma with central '''sulphur body'''.
*Can spread from [[Oral Cavity - Tongue - Anatomy & Physiology|tongue]] to other tissues e.g. retropharyngeal [[Lymph Nodes - Anatomy & Physiology|lymph nodes]] and palate.
*This type of lesion is caused by the host response to the pathogen, rather than directly a pathogen effect.
=====Other sites=====
*Occasionally can see generalised infections but more commonly spreads to local lymph nodes of [[Alimentary - Anatomy & Physiology|alimentary tract]].
*Organism can be inhaled causing [[Actinobacillus lignieresii|actinobacillus pneumonia]].
*Can affect [[The Rumen - Anatomy & Physiology|rumen]] wall.
*In skin forms a neoplastic like mass in dermis.
[[Category:Tongue_-_Pathology]][[Category:Cattle]]