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Mastitis and the Use of Ultrasound in Practice

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Mastitis and the Use of Ultrasound in Practice Mastitis and the use of ultrasound in practice ltrasonography is a non-invasive Cow 1 Cow 2 Cow 3 Cow 4 technique that can be used for Uexamining the bovine udder and teats. For high milk production in cows, it is important to keep a well-structured udder and teats, as they are more resistant to the long-term impact of milking equipment. Different types of mastitis leads to loss and adverse changes in the quality of milk. Increased costs for treatment and early culling of the animals make up the negative Healthy Acute Colibacilar Chronic Diagnosis economic effect. (control) mastitis acute mastitis mastitis Pain at palpation High somatic cells (1 week) and by O. Escobedo and L. Gil, Symptoms _ Milk clots and decreased milk decreased milk production Veterinary University of Zaragoza, Spain, production and Y. Trillo, DVM, BCF technology. www.bcftechnology.com by Delivery date 2 months 7 days 5 months 6 months Milk production Udder ultrasound is a complementary tool 34 42 4 31 to help diagnose the following: (litres/day) l In the gland parenchyma: mastitis; pathological changes in the udder, such as Age (years) 6 4 4 5 inflammation; without clinical signs of mastitis (haematoma, neoplasia, abscess, Affected quarter Normal Frontal right All All etc) and foreign bodies. Average quarters l In the teat: stenosis, inflammation, 38.1 37.8 38.0 37.7 mucosal lesions, tissue proliferation, milk Temp. (˚C) stones, congenital changes and fused teats. 2 days enrofloxacin Enrofloxacin and AINE during clinical Treatment – l In the teat canal and Fürstemberg’s and AINE (parenteral) AINE (parenteral) mastitis periods rosette: inflammation and mucosal lesions. l In the teat cistern: inflammation, milk stones, tissue proliferation and congenital malformations. Mammary Ultrasonography is increasingly used for gland 1 examination and measurement of different anatomical structures (length and diameter of the teat canal, cistern, and the thickness of the teat wall). Many authors have found a relation between mastitis in cows, the characteristics of the teat, the stage of lactation and the visualisation of the teat Mammary canal. gland 2 The main indication of this technique is to appreciate milk flow disorders. Inadequate milking technique or teat handling are the most common causes of altered milk flow. These can produce total stenosis or partial Continued on page 12 Teat Table 1. Right, results of the clinical examination and ultrasound images of three udders with mastitis versus a normal healthy udder. *All images were obtained from an Easi-Scan Curve (3 to 7MHz probe) in the milking parlour. International Dairy Topics • Volume 15 Number 6 11 Continued from page 11 acute cases. In cow 2, the cistern milk has stenosis of the proximal, medial and/or decreased overall due to oedema of the distal part of the teat. wall compressing the cistern, while in However, ultrasonography of the teat chronic cases there is a distension of the allows for the localisation and appreciation gland cistern due to a breakdown of tissues of the extent of pathological changes and around the cistern. therefore is an important additional The teat images from cows 2, 3 and 4 diagnostic tool. demonstrate increasing severity of The correct use of B-mode pathology within the echogenic pattern of ultrasonography equipment allows for the the glandular structures, fibrosis and differentiation of morphological structures. reducing demarcation between gland and When scanning the udder, as with any other teat. structure, ultrasound waves do not pass These observations were specifically through the air easily, and therefore it is described for each case. However, essential to apply ultrasound gel to the teat abnormalities of the udder may vary with to eliminate any air and achieve a good Scanning the udder using an Easi-Scan. the causative organism. quality image (see photograph right). In cows 2 and 3 the udder parenchyma has Conclusion Comparison of ultrasound images several small hyperechoic regions due to inflammation. The milk within the cistern In conclusion, the ultrasound patterns Table 1 on the previous page compares teat and teat has increased echogenicity, with observed across these cases aid in the ultrasound images obtained from cows with echogenic spots due to the increased differentiation between normal and different types of mastitis. The objective cellular content. The teat shows thick and pathological cases and help to assess the was to demonstrate the pathological irregular tissue due to inflammation and degree of severity of disease. changes of the teat and mammary gland oedema. Ultrasound provided additional from acute to chronic mastitis stages by In cow 4 there is poor visualisation, loss of information of the udder status to help comparison with a normal udder. the parenchyma and increased echogenicity determine antibiotic treatment (selective In cow 1, the udder parenchyma has a due to fibrosis. Tissues have been use of antibiotics), treatment time of the homogenous echogenicity with some destroyed, especially at the junction of the case and future prognostics. n anechoic visible veins. The milk of the wall with the cistern (fibrotic tissue after cistern gland is anechoic with some small inflammation – cicatrisation mechanism). particles. The ducts are clearly visible as Milk in the cistern appears more References are available they enter the cistern gland. contaminated (echogenic spots) than in the from the author on request 12 International Dairy Topics • Volume 15 Number 6.
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