Lumpy skin disease in a cow

Abstract

Clinical History: Five-year-old, spayed, stray brown cow with generalized cutaneous nodules present for a week. Necropsy Findings: The animal is in good nutritional condition. Several ticks are present on the ventrum and withers. Multifocally and widespread, affecting all areas of skin in a random distribution, there are variably sized (1-4 cm in diameter) cutaneous and/or subcutaneous nodules, sometimes with a targetoid appearance. A few nodules are ulcerated, and others have a central dense crust. On cut section, many nodules are well demarcated, with a light pink center delineated by a dark red haemorrhagic/hyperaemicline (acute infarcts). Similar nodules and ulcers are also present over the teats. Skinning reveals extensive subcutaneous thickening with yellowish gelatinous material (oedema) as well as multifocal areas of dark red discoloration (haemorrhages). Multiple superficial lymph nodes are enlarged and haemorrhagic, with the right pre-scapular lymph node most severely affected, measuring 16x7x8 cm.