Telangiectasis

Description

Telangiectasis ('plum-pudding liver') is a condition of the liver affecting cattle, sheep, poultry and horses. The lesions are characterised by focal dilatation and congestion of the hepatic sinusoids. All animals may be affected by the lesions but they are more commonly seen in older animals. There is little clinical significance to the disease but affected animals are a significant cause of direct economic loss due to carcass condemnation at slaughter.

Pathogenesis

Various aetiologies for the condition have been suggested. It has been widely proposed that telangiectasis occurs due to ischaemic necrosis of the liver relating to a number underlying causes. These include pregnancy, abdominal tympany and bacterial infection with Fusobacterium necrophorum. Other theories include a neoplastic or immune-mediated process.

Following slaughter, animals with mildly affected livers may be passed for food following trimming but severely affected carcasses must be condemned.

Pathology

Lesions usually appear as irregularly-shaped red depressions on the surface of the liver that extend into the parenchyma. They consist of dilated sinusoids filled with blood and lined with epithelium. On histopathology, hepatocytes appear swollen and degenerate with intracytoplasmic vacuoles and dilated sinusoids.

References

• Gracey, J. F., Collins, D. S., Huey, R. J. (1999) Meat Hygiene Elsevier Health Sciences
• Hubbert, W. T. (1996) Food Safety and Quality Assurance: foods of animal origin Wiley-Blackwell