Vet Pathol Email Content Delivery
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Russo, V.
Right arrow Articles by Roperto, S.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Russo, V.
Right arrow Articles by Roperto, S.
Vet Pathol 45:46-50 (2008)
© 2008 American College of Veterinary Pathologists
BRIEF COMMUNICATIONS AND CASE REPORTS

Melanosis of the Urinary Bladder in a Cow

V. Russo, G. Borzacchiello, R. Brun, M. D'Ischia, A. Napolitano, O. Paciello, L. Panzella, F. Roperto, C. Urraro and S. Roperto

Department of Pathology and Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (VR, GB, RB, OP, FR, CU, SR), and Department of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry (MD, AN, LP), Naples University Federico II, Naples, Italy

Abstract

Melanosis of the urinary bladder is a very rare condition characterized by an abnormal black or brownish-black pigmentation of the organ. The pigmentary disorder can involve both the urothelial cell layers and/or the submucosa. The biologic potential of the melanosis of urinary bladder remains unknown because only a few cases have been reported in medical literature. So far melanosis of the urinary bladder is not known to occur in cattle. Here we describe the first case of melanosis of the urinary bladder in an inbred red-spotted, 7-year-old cow. Light, ultrastructural, and immunohistochemic investigations demonstrated melanin pigment in the submucosa and lamina propria but not the urothelium of the bladder. In addition, biochemical characterization of the pigment-laden cells demonstrated that the pigment of this disorder consisted mainly of eumelanin, thus corroborating the morphologic studies. Finally, virologic examination revealed the presence of bovine papillomavirus type 2.

Key words: Bladder melanosis; cows; eumelanin determination; immunohistochemic; microscopic pattern; ultrastructure.

Request reprints from Dr. S Roperto, Department of Pathology and Animal Health Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Via F. Delpino, 1-80137 Naples (Italy). E-mail: sante.roperto{at}unina.it






HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 2008 by the American College of Veterinary Pathologists.