PATHOLOGY OF

FEMALE GENITAL SYSTEM

• Thomas V Widiyatno
PORTALS OF ENTRY INTO THE FEMALE GENITAL
SYSTEM

Ascending infection through cervix

At insemination
Excessive vaginal contamination
Pospartum and with retained fetal membrane

Hematogenous
Localization in maternofetal interface

Descending from ovary via uterine tube

Transneural recrudescence of Herpesvirus infection

• Ascending infection are initiated at estrous, breeding and
parturition
• Hematogenous infections are less common and usually
involved in specific infection such as brucellosis. They
usually occur during pregnancy
• Some viral and chlamydial infections can be descending from
the ovary through the uterine tube
• Transaxonal of the distal reproductive tract occurs with some
herpesvirus, where stressful event such as parturition cause a
recrudescence. Neonates can be exposed and infected via
this route, but clinical disease in the mother is unusual
 PORTALS OF ENTRY INTO THE MAMMARY
GLAND
Ascending ductular route
 Bacteria
 Fungi
 Therapeutic agents

Systemic infection and localization

 Systemic fungi, viruses, mycoplasmas, mycobacteria

Lymphatic spread
 Teat lesion

Direct penetration
 Penetrating injury
DISEASES
OF FEMALE GENITAL
SYSTEM
Major anomaly
• Chimerism
Animals that are chimeras for the sex
chromosomes have ambiguous reproductive
organs.

The most common chimera in domestic animals is

the freemartin calf
 OVARY
• Developmental anomalies

Agenesis
Hypoplasia
Cyst
cysts in and around (paraovarian) the ovary are common finding

• Acquired ovarian lesion

Oophoritis (inflammation of the ovary)
eg.: BHV-1 infection
• Cystic Ovarian (Graafian) follicles
the disease in cows is called Cystic Ovarian Degeneration (COD)
This cyst probably develop because of LH deficiency or defect on LH
receptor in the ovary
UTERUS
• Inflammation
1. Endometritis
is inflammation limited to the endometrium, usually due to bacterial infection in
nonpregnant animal

2. Metritis
is inflammation of all layers of uterine walls

3. Pyometra
occurs as sequela to endometritis or metritis . It is an acute or chronic infections of
the uterus with accumulation of pus in the lumen. The closure of the cervix is not
always complete, and some discharge occurs
PLACENTA AND FETUS
• INFECTIOUS DISEASE
1. Brucellosis is now a rare or sporadic disease of all
species
2. Campylobacter fetus var. venerealis infection, it is
transmitted venereally and causes embryonic death.
3. Coxiella burnetti, the cause of Q fever in human
beings, is responsible for abortion or weak lambs or
kids. Infection in goats is more common
• Other infections
Apergillosis (Fungal diseases)

Herpesvirus (viral diseases)

generally, the gross lesions in affected fetuses are multiple randomly
distributed pale gray to white foci in affected organs characteristic of
acute necrosis

Toxoplasma gondii (protozoal disease)

T.gondii is an important cause of abortion in ewes. It has a cat-sheep
life cycle, with contamination sheep feed by cat feces
MAMMARY DISEASE OF DOGS
• Neoplasia of the mammary gland is common in dogs.
ovariohisterectomy after the 2nd estrus dramatically increases the
prevalence of the disease
• A high protein-diet decreases the susceptability
• Treatment with medroxyprogesterone acetate and being a purebred
increases it
MAMMARY DISEASE OF COWS
• Mastitis in dairy cattle is an extremely important disease. The
majority of cases are caused by Staphylococcus aureus and are
of subclinical or moderate clinical forms.
• Gram-negative bacteria gain access to the glands and release
endotoxins result in necrosis and severe vascular leakage.
• The pus-forming bacteria tend not to produce necrosis but invoke
a neutrophillic response and result in the filling of suppurative
exudate