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Characterization of the microanatomy and histopathology of placentas from aborted, stillborn and normally delivered alpacas (Lama pacos) and llamas (Lama glama)

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https://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/concern/articles/4j03d0452

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  • From 2002 to 2007, 101 camelid abortions and stillbirths were submitted to the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at Oregon State University (84 alpacas, 13 llamas, four unknown). For most of the cases (n=67) a cause was not determined by routine testing. Eighty-five submissions included placenta for microscopic examination of which 55 were from abortions to unknown causes (idiopathic). Microscopic features of placentas from abortion/stillbirth were compared with those from 19 camelids delivered normally (six alpacas, 12 llamas, one unknown) and those from four alpaca fetuses of known gestational age collected during the dam’s necropsy. The most common microscopic findings in abortion/stillbirth placentas were mineralization (n=57) and mucinous edema (n=27) of the chorioallantoic stroma. One or more of these features were also observed in 22/23 placentas from normal pregnancies/deliveries and therefore interpreted as incidental findings. The comparison of alpaca placentas after matching for gestational parameters (crown rump length, weight, days of gestation; n=41) revealed hypoplasia of placental villi in 5/22 idiopathic abortions and in one abortion due to umbilical torsion, and was suspected in an additional six abortions of unknown and two abortions of known cause. The identified villous hypoplasia is assumed to have resulted in placental insufficiency. When placental insufficiency is included as cause, idiopathic abortions are reduced from 66.2% to 47.9% of alpaca cases with histopathological examination of placenta and from 66.3 to 52.5% of alpaca and llama abortions overall. This study also permitted the generation of a linear regression curve correlating alpaca fetal crown-rump length with fetal age.
  • This is an author's peer-reviewed final manuscript, as accepted by the publisher. The article is published by Sage Publications on behalf of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists, European College of Veterinary Pathologists, and the Japanese College of Veterinary. The published article can be found at: http://vet.sagepub.com/.
  • Keywords: mucin, alpaca, abortion, llama, villous hypoplasia, histopathology, placenta, mineralization
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  • Schaefer, D. L., Bildfell, R. J., Long, P., & Löhr, C. V. (2012). Characterization of the Microanatomy and Histopathology of Placentas From Aborted, Stillborn, and Normally Delivered Alpacas (Vicugna pacos) and Llamas (Lama glama). Veterinary Pathology, 49(2), 313-321. doi:10.1177/0300985811406889
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  • 49
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  • 2
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  • This study was supported by the Merck Merial Veterinary Scholar Program (DLS) and matching funds from the College of Veterinary Medicine at OSU.
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