[A cow showing abnormal distension of the abdomen: omental bursitis (author's transl)].

A highly uncommon clinical picture in a cow showing abnormal distension of the abdomen as the most important clinical symptom, is described. The anatomy of the bovine adbomen is briefly reviewed, particular attention being paid to the omental bursa. This is followed by a discussion of the history and clinical symptoms. The owner complained of the fact that the cow showed loss of appetite and abnormal distension of the abdomen. The most important finding on clinical examination was made on rectal exploration, in which a large sac filled with fluid was felt in the abdomen. Exploratory laparatomy showed that this was an inflamed omental bursa containing a large quantity of serofibrinous exudate. This diagnosis was verified by pathological studies. The discussion is concerned with the differential diagnosis and a comparison is made with a number of similar cases reported in the literature.