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. 2009 Jan;50(1):71-6.

Retrospective case study of fetal mummification in cows that did not respond to prostaglandin F2alpha treatment

Réjean C Lefebvre  1 , Emilie Saint-Hilaire, Isabelle Morin, Gabriel B Couto, David Francoz, Marie Babkine
Affiliations

Retrospective case study of fetal mummification in cows that did not respond to prostaglandin F2alpha treatment

Réjean C Lefebvre et al. Can Vet J. 2009 Jan.

Abstract
in English, French

Mummification of bovine fetuses is an uncommon condition, and cows do not always respond to treatment with prostaglandin F2alpha. The objective of the present retrospective and descriptive case study was to determine the conception rate and survival time of nonresponsive, prostaglandin F2alpha (PGF2alpha)-treated cows (n = 14), following hysterotomy or medical treatment and manual removal. Animal records from 1990 to 2005 from the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vétérinaire (CHUV) of the Université de Montréal were studied. Inclusion criteria were the nonexpulsion of the mummified fetus following PF2alpha treatment and absence of concomitant conditions upon physical examination. Of the animals included in the study, 36% (n = 5) became pregnant after extraction of the mummified fetus by hysterotomy and 0% conceived after medical treatment and manual extraction. In this study, hysterotomy represented an effective approach for extracting mummified fetuses from cows that did not respond to PF2alpha treatment.

Étude rétrospective de cas de fœtus momifiés chez des vaches qui n’ont pas répondu à un traitement aux prostaglandines. La momification fœtale bovine est une condition rare et la vache ne réussit pas toujours à expulser le fœtus après un traitement aux prostaglandines F2α (PGF2α). L’objectif de l’étude rétrospective et descriptive était de déterminer le taux de conception et le temps de survie des vaches (n = 14) qui n’avaient pas répondu à un premier traitement de PGF2α, après une hystérotomie, ou un traitement médical avec une expulsion manuelle. Les dossiers médicaux du Centre hospitalier universitaire vétérinaire (CHUV) de l’Université de Montréal entre 1990 et 2005 ont été étudiés. Les critères d’inclusion pour l’étude étaient : 1) l’absence d’expulsion du fœtus momifié après un traitement de PGF2α, 2) l’absence d’une condition médicale secondaire détectée à l’examen physique de l’animal. Trente-six pour cent (n = 5) des vaches sont devenus gravides après l’extraction du fœtus par hystérotomie, alors qu’aucune vache n’a conçu après le traitement médical et l’extraction manuelle du fœtus. Dans la présente étude, l’hystérotomie représente une approche efficace pour extraire un fœtus momifié lorsque le traitement aux PGF2α s’est avéré inefficace.

(Traduit par Docteur André Blouin)

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Decision tree for the clinical approach in cases of fetal mummification in cows. AI — artificial insemination, Ut. lavage — uterine lavage, N — normal, CR — conception rate, ? — unknown, PGF2α — prostaglandin F2α, PGE2 — prostaglandin E2, $ — expensive.
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