Pathology of hepatic granulomas in goats

The present study was carried out to record the occurrence and pathology of granulomas in the liver of slaughtered and necropsied goats in and around Puducherry. Out of 10, 11 goat carcasses examined, gross lesions were recorded in the hepatobiliary systems of 106 (103 slaughtered and 3 necropsied) carcasses. Granulomatous hepatitis was recorded in 42/106(39.6%) of the cases. The various granulomatous lesions in the liver were categorized as eosinophilic, epithelioid and suppurative gran-ulomas. Eosinophilic granulomas accounted for 25/106 (23.8%) of the cases and had gross features of focal/multi-focal necrosis to nodularity and histopathologically characterized by multi-focal areas of necrosis predominated by eosinophils, followed by macrophages, epithelioid cells, lymphocytes and fibrous tissue proliferation. Epithelioid granulomas were recorded in 14/106, (13.2%) of the cases, that had gross features of focal to diffuse grayish white nodular lesions. Histopathologically, such granulomas had central necrotic area surrounded by cellular infiltration predominantly consists of macrophages, and epithelioid cells arranged in a palisade pattern along with few giant cells encapsulated by zone of fibroblasts, eosinophils and lymphocytes. Suppurative granuloma was recorded in 3/106 (2.8%) of the cases. Grossly, these appeared as inspissated greenish yellow material embedded in the liver parenchyma and microscopically, there was extensive necrosis with severe infiltration of neutrophils along with macrophages, epithelioid cells and fibroblasts.