An occurrence of cerebrocortical necrosis in rearing calves--histopathological and ultrastructural studies

Occurrence of cerebrocortical necrosis in a goat in Okinawa prefecture, Japan

A 6-month-old male Nubian goat suddenly showed dullness, tachypnea, recumbency and opisthotonus in August 2011 in Okinawa, Japan. The goat was consequently necropsied: gross lesions in the brain included slightly swollen foci of yellowish discoloration on the cerebral hemisphere. Histopathologically, necrosis of the cortex with ischemic changes of neuronal cells was present, and swelling of the vascular endothelium, thickening of the basement membrane and diffuse infiltration of macrophages were observed in the cerebral lesion. Autofluorescence of the cerebral cortex was confirmed by an ultraviolet light test. The thiamine levels of the blood serum and tissue samples (brain, liver and heart) of the goat were low compared with goats from the same herd. The goat was diagnosed with cerebrocortical necrosis (CCN). This is the first case report of caprine CCN in Japan.