Myocardial Lesions from Enzootic Cardiomyopathy in Sika Deer (Cervus nipponTemminck)

Abstract

On a stock farm in the northeastern district of China, histopathological and electron-microscopic examinations were made of 40 shika deer (Cervus nipponTemminck) aged from 1 day to 2 years and suffering cardiac arrest. Principal pathological changes were myocytolysis and contraction-band necrosis of the myocardial fibers. Ultrastructural examination revealed mitochondrial deformation and calcium deposition. These phenomena resemble those observed in cases of cardiomyopathy caused in other animals by selenium-vitamin E deficiency.