Stedman N L, Brown T P, Rowland G N
Department of Veterinary Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens 30602-4875, USA.
Avian Dis. 1998 Apr-Jun;42(2):423-8.
A flock of 15-wk-old tom turkeys experienced an acute onset of paresis and ataxia in 75% of the birds after handling. Cartilaginous emboli were found in the spinal cord vasculature from one of five turkeys at this initial presentation. Most of the flock recovered within 6 days, but 3% remained paretic. Myelomalacia was present in three turkeys that failed to recover. Two of these turkeys had cartilaginous and osseous emboli within the medullary spaces of the vertebral bodies, internal vertebral venous sinuses, and spinal cord. The third turkey had vascular and spinal cord necrosis consistent with thrombosis and resultant ischemia. These changes suggest that turkeys may be susceptible to a syndrome analogous to fibrocartilaginous embolism of the spinal cord in mammals. The articular cartilage of the vertebral body endplate may be the source of the emboli. The turkeys with emboli had articular cartilage defects consisting of matrix eosinophilia, chondrocyte loss, multicellular cluster formation, cartilage detachment, and cartilage clefts. Cartilaginous emboli in the spinal cord should be considered as a potential cause for acute paresis and ataxia, especially in flocks with preexisting abnormalities of the vertebral articular cartilage surfaces.
一群15周龄的雄性火鸡在经过处理后，75%的个体突然出现轻瘫和共济失调。在初次检查时，五只火鸡中的一只在脊髓血管系统中发现了软骨栓子。这群火鸡中的大多数在6天内康复，但3%的个体仍存在轻瘫症状。三只未康复的火鸡出现了脊髓软化。其中两只火鸡在椎体髓腔、椎内静脉窦和脊髓内有软骨和骨栓子。第三只火鸡有与血栓形成及由此导致的缺血相一致的血管和脊髓坏死。这些变化表明，火鸡可能易患一种类似于哺乳动物脊髓纤维软骨栓塞的综合征。椎体终板的关节软骨可能是栓子的来源。有栓子的火鸡存在关节软骨缺陷，包括基质嗜酸性变、软骨细胞丢失、多细胞簇形成、软骨脱离和软骨裂隙。脊髓中的软骨栓子应被视为急性轻瘫和共济失调的一个潜在原因，尤其是在椎体关节软骨表面已有异常的鸡群中。
