Congenital craniofacial and skeletal defects with arthrogryposis in two newborn male Holstein Friesian calves

This study describes the gross and histopathology of congenital craniofacial and skeletal defects with arthrogryposis in two newborn male Holstein Friesian calves. The calves were 38 kg and 34 kg when they were born and they were unable to stand. The first calf died after 4 days of birth due to aspiration pneumonia. Both front fetlock joints of this calf were flexed and both hind fetlock joints showed characteristic over-extension. The above limbs' defects were associated with complete palatoschisis of the hard and soft palate, median cleft of upper lip and torticollis of the neck. The second calf died 2 h after parturition. The right hind leg of this animal had only one finger with a single hoof and it was flexed towards the anterior portion of the body. The left hind limb was flexed towards the posterior portion of the body. The above limbs' defects were associated with cleft of hard and soft palates, lordosis, and lack of tail. At histological level, the brain section of both calves showed spongiosis leading to vacuolation, perivascular edema, and hyperemia with mild lymphocyte infiltration in the parenchyma. Considering the pedigree and diet of their mothers, there was no evidence of hereditary or nutritional etiology of arthrogryposis and cleft palate/lip complex. There are many factors responsible for cleft palate/lip complex, but occurrence of this complex together with arthrogryposis is reported only in the calves that their mothers were affected during early stages of the pregnancy with selenium and manganese deficiencies and Akabane or bovine viral diarrhea virus infection. © 2009 Springer-Verlag London Limited.