Basrah Journal of Veterinary Research,Vol.17, No.3,2018
Proceeding of 6th International Scientific Conference,College of Veterinary Medicine
University of Basrah,Iraq
148
HISTOPATHOLOGICAL DETECTION OF UTERINE CERVIX
LESIONS IN NON PREGNANT EWES
Karam.H.Al-Mallah* , Mariem.M.Hussien**
*Department of pathology and poultry diseases, college of Veterinary Medicine,
University of Mosul,Mousl.Iraq.
**Veterinary hospital, Ninavah directorate of agriculture
Keyword : Lesions , Cervix , Ewes .
Corresponding author: karamalmallah@yahoo.com
ABSTRACT
The study aimed detection and identification of the lesions in the uterine cervix of
ewes and determination of their percentages in Mosul region. For that purpose
cervices from 108 non gravid genital systems were collected from slaughtered ewes at
Mosul slaughter house and private butcheries for a period extended from 1/11/2012 to
1/5/2013. all of the samples were grossly and histologically examined. The result
showed that the most observed lesions in cervices were epithelial hyperplasia,
epithelial degeneration and desquamation ,coagulative necrosis, cervicitis and sub
epithelial hemorrhage at ratios 11.11% , 10.18% , 8.33%,3.70% and 5.55%
respectively . It has been concluded that uterine cervix naturally exposed to multiple
pathogens induced the noticed lesions .
INTRODUCTION
Cervix is a part of female genital system that connect uterus with vagina , several
affections may affect cervix in farm animals including ewes . In general affections of
the cervix are rare in farm animals , congenital anomalies recorded as two entire
cervices or a single bifurcated cervix and developmental anomalies like aplasia
expressing diverticulosis of cervical canal , also adaptations like hyperplasia and
hypertrophy (1) . Ewes exposed to estrogenic substances in plants like red clover may
develop infertility because of the degenerative changes in the uterine cervix glands
with fusion of cervical folds and production off less viscous mucous (1 ) . Traumatic
dystocia and artificial insemination may result in induction of cervicitis also (1) . The
most dramatic affections are manifested by inflammations and tumors . cervicitis in
ewes also classified by (2) to acute cervicitis with neutrophil granulocyte infiltration ,
Basrah Journal of Veterinary Research,Vol.17, No.3,2018
Proceeding of 6th International Scientific Conference,College of Veterinary Medicine
University of Basrah,Iraq
149
Purulent cervicitis manifested by presence of pus , necrotic cervicitis characterized by
epithelial necrosis and haemorrhage and chronic cervicitis recognized by heavy
mononuclear cells infiltration and deposition of collagen fibres . tumors of uterine
cervix in ewes also recorded as neoplastic masses of sequamous cell carcinoma (3) ,
also hemangioma was recoeded (2) .
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Directly after slaughtering 108 cervix samples were collected from non pregnant
ewes at Mosul abattoir and several butcheries around in the city for the period
extended from 1/11/2012-1/5/2013 . the samples packed in plastic bags , numbered ,
cooled in ice and transported to the laboratory of histopathology / Department of
pathology and poultry disease / college of veterinary medicine / university of Mosul ,
gross examination were recorded then samples were preserved in 10% neutral buffered
formalin for tow days ,then histological preparation directly performed included
dehydration with ethyl alcohol , clearing with xylene , embedding with paraffine wax ,
sectioning by microtome , staining routinely with H&E stain (4) . sections were
examined under light microscope /Kruss/ Germany , and photographed using digital
camera SONY/ Japan .
RESULTS
The results showed presence of mild to moderate lesions in the examined samples
manifested by disturbances of growth and adaptations including epithelial hyperplasia ,
muscular hypertrophy and submucosal glands atrophy at ratios 11.11% , 0.93% and
0.93% respectively from total samples examined . Figures (1,2,3) , disturbances of cell
metabolism were also apparent as cell swelling with desquamation and coagulative
necrosis at ratios 10.18% and 8.33% respectively . Figure (4) . inflammations and
repair also noticed as cervicitis 3.70% and submucosal fibrosis 0.93% . Figures (5,6) .
Mild sub mucosal hemorrhages were observed in 5.55% of the examined samples as a
circulatory disturbance Figure (7) . also jaundice was recognized in one sample 0.93%
as a disturbance of pigmentation . Figure (8) . Table (1) .
Basrah Journal of Veterinary Research,Vol.17, No.3,2018
Proceeding of 6th International Scientific Conference,College of Veterinary Medicine
University of Basrah,Iraq
150
Table (1) : Shows lesions of uterine cervix in ewes , number of the lesion affected
samples and lesion ratios .
Ratio of occurrence
with in total
samples %
Number of the
affected
samples
Classification of the N Type of the lesion
lesion
12 11.11
Epithelial hyperplasia
Disturbances in 1
growth and
adaptations
1 0.93
Muscular hypertrophy
2
Submucosal glands 1 0,93
atrophy
3
11 10.18
Epithelial degeneration
and desquamation
Disturbances in cell 4
metabolism
9 8.33
Epithelial coagulative
necrosis
5
4 3.7
Cervicitis
Inflammation and 6
repair
1 0.93
Submucosal fibrosis
7
Sub mucosal 6 5.55
hemorrhage
Disturbances in 8
circulation
Jaundice 1 0.93
Disturbances in 9
pigmentation
*Total number of samples=108 .
Basrah Journal of Veterinary Research,Vol.17, No.3,2018
Proceeding of 6th International Scientific Conference,College of Veterinary Medicine
University of Basrah,Iraq
151
A
A
A B
Figure (1) : Photomicrograph of uterine
cervix of ewe showing epithelial
hyperplasia in mucosal folds (A) . Staining
H&E , Magnification 265 X .
Figure (2) : Photomicrograph of uterine cervix
of ewe showing muscular hypertrophy (A) .
Staining H&E , Magnification 100 X .
Figure (3) : Photomicrograph of uterine
cervix of ewe showing sub mucosal glands
atrophy (A).
Staining H&E , Magnification 40 X .
Figure (4) : Photomicrograph of uterine cervix of
ewe showing degeneration , necrosis (A) and
sloughing of mucosal epithelium (B) .
Staining H&E , Magnification 165 X
A
Basrah Journal of Veterinary Research,Vol.17, No.3,2018
Proceeding of 6th International Scientific Conference,College of Veterinary Medicine
University of Basrah,Iraq
152
A
A
B
B
A
B
A
A
A
Figure (5) : Photomicrograph of uterine cervix
of ewe showing acute cervicitis manifested by
heavy polymorphnuclear cells infiltration (A) ,
degeneration and sloughing of epithelium (B)
. Staining H&E , Magnification 165 X
Figure (6) : Photomicrograph of uterine cervix
of ewe showing submucosal fibrosis (A) ,
Atrophy of submucosal glands (B) . Staining
H&E , Magnification 46 X .
Figure (7) : Photomicrograph of uterine
cervix of ewe showing focal punctuating
submucosal hemorrhage (A) . Staining
H&E , Magnification 165 X .
Figure (8) : The whole genital system of ewe
showing icteric yellowish color of systemic
jaundice (A) .
Basrah Journal of Veterinary Research,Vol.17, No.3,2018
Proceeding of 6th International Scientific Conference,College of Veterinary Medicine
University of Basrah,Iraq
153
DISCUSSION
Presence of epithelial hyperplasia 11.11% and muscular hypertrophy 0.93% may
indicate hormonal stimulation , (5) referred that prolonged exposure to estradiol -17 as
a drug or by grazing on estrogenic substance containing herbs leads to hyperplasia and
hypertrophy of uterine cervix also minimizing uterine cervix folds and causing
temporary infertility in ewes if exposed for longer period . Muscular hypertrophy of
uterine cervix also naturally accompanies pregnancy under the stimulation of
progesterone (6) which may persist few weeks after parturition were samples from
nongravid systems may be collected . Atrophy of submucosal gland in 0.93% of
samples is mostly associated with advanced age or ovarian dysfunction leading to
vulvovaginal atrophy because dropping of estrogen level (7) .
Degeneration and desquamation 10.18% in uterine cervix epithelium are similar results
to (8) who recognized degeneration and desquamation with lymphocytic inflammatory
infiltrations and fibrosis in bovine uterine cervix , the same lesion also mentioned by
(9) accompanies acute catarrhal cervicitis , while coagulative necrosis in cervix
epithelium usually matches systemic toxicosis were it is recorded in human after
radiation therapy (10).
The results obtained by the researchers above which recorded cervicitis were supported
by our study demonstrating cervicitis in 3.70% of the examined samples and this is
similar to (2) who recorded cervicitis in cattle at 1.35% of the examined samples , (9)
noticed cervicitis 0.4% in camels , and (8) which observed cervicitis in cattle at 6.36%
of the examined animals , all of those researchers explained incidence of cervicitis as
an extension of endometritis or a complication of faulty artificial insemination
technique . Submucosal fibrosis or scarification noticed at 0.93% of samples may
result from chronic cervicitis or previous wounds from dystocia and mechanical
manipulation at parturition (1) . Inflammations and trauma to the cervix may explain
small foci of haemorrhage at 5.55% of the examined samples . The appearance of
jaundice in one sample may reflect a generalized pigment disturbance because of
haemolytic anaemia (11) .
Basrah Journal of Veterinary Research,Vol.17, No.3,2018
Proceeding of 6th International Scientific Conference,College of Veterinary Medicine
University of Basrah,Iraq
154
التحری عن الأفات المرضیة لعنق الرحم فی النعاج غیر الحوامل فی منطقة الموصل
کرم الملاح ‘ مریم حسین
الخلاصة
أجریت ھذه الدراسة للتحری عن الأفات المرضیة لعنق الرحم فی النعاج فی منطقة الموصل والتعرف على
أنواعھا ونسب ظھورھا . لذلک جمعت العینات من ١٠٨ جھاز تناسلی من النعاج غیر الحوامل المجزورة فی
٢٠١٣ و أجری علیھا الفحص /٥/ ٢٠١٢ الى ١ /١١/ مجزرة الموصل وبعض محلات الجزارة للفترة من ١
المرضی العیانی والنسیجی . أظھرت النتائج بأن أکثر الأفات المرضیة أنتشاراً فی المبیضین کانت فرط التنسج
الظھاری ، والتنکس الظھاری ، التوسف ، النخر التجلطی ، التھاب عنق الرحم و النزف تحت الطبقة الظھاریة
٣.٧٠ % و ٥.٥٥ % على التوالی . لقد تم استنتاج أن عنق الرحم ، %٨.٣٣ ، %١٠.١٨ ، % بالنسب ١١.١١
یکون طبیعیاً معرضاً لممرضات متنوعة مسببة للأفات التی تمت ملاحظتھا .
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