1ICAR-Central Coastal Agricultural Research Institute, Old Goa, Goa
2ICAR-National Research Centre on Camel, Bikaner, Rajasthan, India
An unusual fatal congenital cephalic defect involving both the craniofacial structures and the central nervous system was recorded in a day old dromedary camel calf. Clinical examination showed a bulged head, a flat face with a short distorted muzzle, no demarcated nose, a median cleft lip and anophthalmia on left side. The calf born was unable to stand, drink milk with feeding bottle, with lateral recumbency and died within 24 hrs of its birth. The necropsy revealed hydrocephalus with presence of significant amount of serosanguinous fluid inside cranial cavity. The brain tissue showed marked reduced in size (about 8 cm in diameter), soft in consistency, congested with diffuse petechial hemorrhages on its surface and showed hypoplasia of cerebrum and cerebellum. Histopathology of brain tissue revealed multifocal necrotic areas with loss of neurons and glial cells accompanied by adipose tissue replacement and multiple foci of hemorrhages and hyperemic blood vessels. Foci of mineralization along with sporadic clusters of reactive microglial cells were also detected in cerebrum. The congenital multiple cephalic malformations are rare and not reported in dromedary camels to date.
Anophthalmia, Camel, Cerebral hypoplasia, Congenital defect, Hydrocephalus
