Dysentery in pigs associated with cystic enlargement of submucosal glands in the large intestine

Abstract

Grossly visible glands were found in the submucosa of the large intestine of five pigs with dysentery. Some were cystic, some were filled with necrotic debris and some had perforated the serosal surface. The mucosa of the large intestine of all pigs had areas of acute catarrhal inflammation with haemorrhage and focal sloughing of the surface epithelium. Although very distinctive and analogous in most respects to collitis cystica profunda, it was felt that the cystic and hypertrophic glands were a secondary finding and represented involvement of glandular elements present in normal animals. Anaerobic vibrio were recovered from three pigs, but the significance of these isolates is unknown.