v.14, n.3, 11

Diagnostic Exercise from The Latin Comparative Pathology Group

Multifocal ulcerative ventriculitis a pigeon by Hadjelia truncata

Jennine N. Ochoa & John M. Adaska

Clinical History:
A single 5-year-old, white homing pigeon (Columba livia domestica) was submitted from a flock of 30 birds. The bird was bright alert and responsive upon presentation. One other bird was sick and two had died. The reported duration of illness was six months. Birds were noted to have a full crop but losing weight.

Necropsy and Microscopic Findings:
The bird was in fair nutritional condition with decreased pectoral muscles and minimal remaining fat stores. The crop contained large amounts of mixed seeds, some of which were quite large. The proventriculus was small and had somewhat roughened mucosal surfaces. The gizzard had two areas of marked roughening and apparent thickening of the koilin layer. One of these areas was at the anterior margin and the other one was near the posterior margin of the gizzard. The intestines contained minimal thick yellow material but overall were pink and shiny. The ceca contained scant gray-white feces. All other tissues were within normal limits.

Follow-up questions:

• Morphologic diagnosis
• Etiology

DOI: 10.24070/bjvp.1983-0246.v14i3p210-212