Kernicterus in a neonatal foal.
A 5-day-old Thoroughbred foal was submitted to the necropsy service at the University of Kentucky Livestock Disease Diagnostic Center. The foal had a clinical history of seizure activity and severe icterus. A complete blood count and serum chemistry analysis indicated that the foal was anemic (hematocrit, 16%), hyperbilirubinemic (45 mg/dl), and hypoglycemic. At necropsy, all tissues were discolored various shades of yellow. Microscopically, there was degeneration and necrosis of cerebral neurons and cerebellar Purkinje cells; severe hepatocellular degeneration and necrosis; and deposition of amorphous golden-yellow material in the cerebellar granular cell layer, pulmonary alveoli, renal tubular epithelium, splenic trabecula, and the lamina propria of the small and large intestine. The golden-yellow material in the brain, lung, spleen, and small intestine was identified as bilirubin by histochemistry. Based on the macroscopic and microscopic findings, a diagnosis of kernicterus (bilirubin encephalopathy) was made. This report describes a rare case of equine neonatal kernicterus.
Loynachan
Alan T
AT
Livestock Disease Diagnostic Center, University of Kentucky, College of Agriculture, Lexington, KY 40511-4125, USA. alan.loynachan@uky.edu
Williams
N M
NM
Freestone
J F
JF
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D006736:Horses; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000473:pathology; D007647:Kernicterus / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology; D012640:Seizures / Q000209:etiology / Q000662:veterinary