Pathological Studies on Prolapse of Vagina in Dairy Cows

Abstract

Dairy cows showing prolapse of the vagina at the time of slaughter were examined for histopathological changes in the sacral nerve. All of them exhibited such changes of neuritis as degeneration and disappearance of nerve cells in the ganglion, proliferation of stellate cells, infiltration of lymphocytes and eosinophils around nerve bundles, and swelling, demyelination, and vacuolation of nerve fibers. On the other hand, these changes were very mild in the sacral nerve of dairy cows free from prolapse of the vagina.
In conclusion, the pathogenesis of this disorder in dairy cows consists in autonomic nerve disturbances accompanied by organic changes of those nerves distributed in the vagina and vulva.