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Subject:

Re: Porotic hyperostosis on vertebrae?

From:

Simon McGrory <[log in to unmask]>

Reply-To:

[log in to unmask][log in to unmask]>

Date:

Tue, 19 Dec 2006 09:01:08 +0000

Content-Type:

text/plain

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text/plain (65 lines)

Hi Allison,

Sorry about the delay in getting back to you. I've had a look at the photo 
and talked it over with Helen. This looks to me like periostial reaction 
which I would associate with inflammation. The smooth nature you refer to 
could be due to being a healed/healing lesion or still in the early stages 
of formation. The vertebral column can be slower to react to insult than 
other bones. This kind of thing is generally easier to judge in the flesh 
so to speak, especially exact texture.

If it is reaction to inflammation then there are a long list of possible 
aetiologies. It could be early stage infection in which case you're 
probably looking at infection in the epidural space (possibly listeria). 
This can occur as a sequel to meningitis or as a spread from joint ill 
(especially in young animals). If it is not associated with infection then 
it could be traumatic, the result of a bad calving or perhaps a downer cow 
(especially one who has "done the splits"). Such an animal may also develop 
localised ischaemia due the blood becoming "sludgy" which might start to 
cause necrosis. On the other hand it could be a more localised effect due 
to something like discus spondylosis (a common enough condition in older 
cattle). Really you would need a better view of the distribution within the 
spinal column to get any better leads. Do you know which vertebrae we're 
looking at? Are they both of the same type? Is there any chance they could 
be from the same animal? Lumbar vertebrae would make calving trauma more 
likely. Two adjacent vertebrae could perhaps point towards discus 
spondylosis.

The one thing we can be sure it is not is scurvy. Cattle like most other 
mammals make their own vitamin C and thus do not develop scurvy. I would 
also suggest that infection via the bloodstream (such as TB or actinomyces 
spp) whilst possible is unlikely. These infections are more likely to form 
lesions in the vertebral body and then spread from there which would 
produce a different type of distribution.

If you are interested in following this up I would suggest trying to get 
hold of Hal Thompson at Glasgow vet school. I don't know of anyone with a 
better understanding of or interest in cattle pathology. Although he can be 
hard to reach.

Best of luck, Simon.

On Dec 13 2006, Allison Grunwald wrote:

>Hi all,
>
>I'm cataloguing a collection and I have noticed on two (so far) cow
>vertebrae, on the inferior surface of the spinous process arches there are
>more or less symmetrically located patches of what looks like porotic
>hyperostosis. The texture is smooth, so if it's a lesion it's healed. Is
>there anything it could be pathology-wise, or is this normal for (cow)
>verts? (perhaps it's just an old animal?)
>
>Thanks,
>~Allison
>
>

-- 
Simon McGrory
PhD Student
Department of Archaeology
University of York
The King's Manor, York, YO1 7EP.
http://www-users.york.ac.uk/~sm514/index.html

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