EXTRA-AMNIOTIC BOVINE FOETUS WITH APLASIA OF THE POSTERIOR BODY: A CASE REPORT

Extra-amniotic foetuses and congenital defects involving a substantial portion of the foetus are rare, being poorly described in literature. Congenital malformation of the foetus and extra-amniotic pregnancy can lead to abortion or severe dystocia, resulting in significant economic losses for the producer due to decreased fertility, lost production, and additional veterinary costs. In a routine manual pregnancy examination, a primiparous Jersey-Holstein crossbred dairy cow had a smaller than expected uterine enlargement. The cow was inseminated 56 days earlier, but the uterine enlargement corresponded with a six-week pregnant uterus. In ultrasound examination (Draminski, Poland), a right-horn pregnancy with ipsilateral corpus luteum was detected. The length of the foetus was 41 mm whereas the expected length would be 50 mm at 56 days pregnancy, according to Draminski software. The foetus was alive but seemed to be grossly malformed caudally from the neck. There was aplasia of the posterior half of the body caudally of the thorax-like structure. No limbs were observed. The foetus was located outside the amnion, i.e., within the allantochorion. Abortion was induced with dexcloprostenol. The cow was inseminated one oestrous cycle later, and it conceived and developed a normal pregnancy. Most congenital defects are detected postnatally. This case illustrates the utility of routine ultrasound examination for early pregnancy detection of developmental anomalies, enabling timely interventions to mitigate production losses.