Synonyms

 

No known synonym

 

Name of the disease in English

 

Softened abscess under the skin

 

The disease in brief

 

Abscesses are very common in cattle, consequences of trauma to the points of contact or poorly given injections or various bites. Infection of the subcutaneous tissue or muscle causes an influx of inflammatory cells which will circumscribe the infected area, phagocytize bacteria and inflammatory residues to produce the “hot” abscess; when the inflammation recedes, it passes to the stage of cold abscess with a shell containing the pus in a cavity.

It is important to clearly distinguish abscesses from hematomas, collections of serum or early infections, because each lesion has a specific treatment. Confirmation by puncture is most often essential.

Clinic & diagnosis

We suspect a cold abscess when we note both:

-A swollen or deformed area that is soft ball-shaped on palpation, or a swollen area that is flat and soft.

- The skin of the swollen part has lost its hair or has thinned; a puncture could burst it.

-You can also suspect a cold abscess by noticing an oozing of pus that comes out of a fistula in the skin that cannot be healed or a nodule whose skin has lost its hair or has thinned.

 

Typical sign of the disease

 

No description

 

Pictures

 

See below

 

Diagnostic formulas

 

No description

 

Differential diagnosis

 

-Hematoma under the skin CH3

 

-Hernia of the flank Or Eventration-PG30.2

 

-Umbilical hernia CH9

 

-N20 inguinal hernia

 

Confirm a suspicion?

 

The lesion observed can be specified with an ultrasound. Confirmation is done by puncture on a well chosen area. Prepare the area to be punctured as for a surgical procedure. A 16g needle will be able to immediately confirm the presence of pus (or blood); aspiration by a syringe may be useful in addition.

 

Prognosis and treatment

 

Adapt the treatment according to the result of the po,ction:

If the puncture only brought back a small amount of serum and no pus, we can think that the abscess is in the process of formation: An antibiotic treatment can overcome the infection; we then turn to a broad-spectrum antibiotic including Actinomyces in its spectrum.

 

When the puncture brings back pus, the presence of a constituted abscess is confirmed; the treatment consists of:

 

- Debride the abscess widely in the ventral area to facilitate its emptying; the size of the opening should be several centimeters (5cm) so that debris and clots can drain easily.

 

- With large abscesses, provide daily care for 5-7 days: Rinse the emptied cavity with a PVP-iodine or hydrogen peroxide solution.

- Antibiotic coverage is not often useful at this stage; reserve it for complex abscesses and when the risk of recurrence is present.

The prognosis is favorable whenever the drainage has been complete.

 

Prevention

 

-Monitor livestock buildings to detect and remove the causes of contusion.

 

-An annual disinfection of the premises, followed by a crawl space is indicated if the cases multiply.

 

References

 

- Rebhun's disease of dairy cattle; Various DJs, Peek SF 3^rd edition by Ed. Saunders Elsevier