Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Generalized muscular steatosis (pseudohypertrophy) in a heifer

  • Brief Communication
  • Published:
Comparative Clinical Pathology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Although multiple hypotheses have been proposed for the pathogenesis of muscular steatosis (pseudohypertrophy), the published evidence that supports either of these hypotheses is limited. A 14-month-old Holstein–Friesian heifer, which was slaughtered 2 days after the onset of dyspnea, hypotonia, hindquarter weakness, and ultimate inability to rise, showed bilateral lesions of muscular steatosis involving almost all skeletal muscles including the diaphragm. Lesions were characterized primarily by widespread replacement of myofibers by adipose tissue, which occurred more preferentially at the areas adjacent to the perimysial connective tissue. Atrophic or degenerated myofibers were present more prominently at the marginal areas of the muscle fascicles. Many perimysial arterioles showed fibrinoid degeneration systematically. It is thought that ischemia due to systematic arteriolar alteration was implicated in the development of this spontaneously occurring generalized muscular steatosis.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

References

  • Agamanolis DP (2011) Inflammatory myopathies. http://neuropathology-web.org/chapter13/chapter13eInflammatory.html. Accessed 16 February 2013.

  • Bradley R, Fell BF (1981) Disorders of voluntary muscle. Churchill Livingstone, Edinburgh, pp 825–872

    Google Scholar 

  • Dalakas MC, Hohlfeld R (2003) Polymyositis and dermatomyositis. Lancet 362:971–982

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Emslie-Smith AM, Engel AG (1990) Microvascular changes in early and advanced dermatomyositis: a quantitative study. Ann Neurol 27:343–356

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Estruch R, Grau JM, Fernández-Solá J, Casadmont J, Monforte R, Urbano-Márquez A (1992) Microvascular changes in skeletal muscle in idiopathic inflammatory myopathy. Hum Pathol 23:888–895

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Greenberg SA (2008) Inflammatory myopathies: evaluation and management. Semin Neurol 28:241–249

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hadlow WJ (1962) Diseases of skeletal muscle. Comparative neuropathology. Academic Press, New York, pp 147–243

    Google Scholar 

  • Herrmann V (1985) Animal experiment and biopsy studies on the cause, manifestations and diagnostic relevance of perifascicular muscle fiber atrophy. Z Gesamte Inn Med: 40:417–423

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hulland TJ (1993) Muscle and tendon. In: Jubb K.V.F., Kennedy P.C. & Palmer N. (eds) Pathology of domestic animals, 4th edn. Academic Press, San Diego, pp 183–265

  • Langohr IM, Stevenson GW, Valentine BA (2007) Muscular pseudohypertrophy (steatosis) in a bovine fetus. J Vet Diag Invest 19:198–201

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Matsushita S, Ikeda S, Hanyu N, Yamamoto K, Yanagisawa N (1991) Muscular pseudohypertrophy in an adult case with centronuclear myopathy. Eur Neurol 31:172–174

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • McGavin MD (1995) Thomson’s special veterinary pathology, 2nd edn. Mosby, London, pp 393–422

    Google Scholar 

  • Monlux WS, Monlux AW (1972) Atlas of meat inspection pathology. United States Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C., pp 139–140

    Google Scholar 

  • Pestronk A, Schmidt RE, Choksi R (2010) Vascular pathology in dermatomyositis and anatomic relations to myopathology. Muscle Nerve 42:53–61

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Swatland HJ (1974) Developmental disorders of skeletal muscle in cattle, pigs and sheep. Vet Bull 44:179–202

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Histopathology, Diagnostic Animal Pathology Office, Nishino 11-9/20-25, Sapporo, 063-0041, Hokkaido, Japan

    S. Ohfuji

Authors
  1. S. Ohfuji
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to S. Ohfuji.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ohfuji, S. Generalized muscular steatosis (pseudohypertrophy) in a heifer. Comp Clin Pathol 22, 785–788 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00580-013-1723-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00580-013-1723-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation