ABNORMALITIES INVOLVING THE OVARIES

Smooth Ovaries

Ovaries are smooth 
Repeated palpation confirms the presence of smooth ovaries. Systemic or local causes should be investigated. 

The detection of smooth ovaries at a single examination in cycling cows, especially during the first few days following ovulation when the developing CL is not palpable is perfectly normal.

 ABNORMALITIES INVOLVING THE OVARIES

Ovarian Cysts

Ovarian cysts are fluid-filled structures greater than 2.5 cm in diameter.
Should be differentiated from parovarian cysts, which do not involve the ovary but rather involve remnants of the mesonephric or paramesonephric duct systems.

Ovarian Hypoplasia

Ovarian hypoplasia is found in all breeds and may be bilateral or unilateral.
 Bilateral hypoplasia is found in heifers only and is always associated with sterility .
 Cows and heifers which are affected unilaterally might reproduce relatively normally.
 The degree of hypoplasia varies and the affected ovary might be recognized as a barely distinguishable thickening of the mesovarium. 

In other cases, the ovary might be slightly larger.
 Whenever the dimensions of the ovary are found to be less than 2 cm x 0.5 cm x 0.5 cm this disease should be suspected. 

The affected gonads are are hard and static.
 Functional structures such as follicles or corpus luteum are not present.
 In cases of doubt, re-examination should be recommended, especially for differentiation from ovarian atrophy.
 Hypoplasia of ovaries has been found to be hereditary in nature, and it is very important to detect the unilateral cases which might reproduce and transmit the disease to offspring. 

Underdevelopment of Ovaries in Heifers -
 Usually bilateral and is found primarily in poorly fed and managed heifers
 Most commonly heifers of the same age are affected
 The ovaries are small and static, consistency varies from flaccid to fibrotic while there is atrophy of the uterine wall
 It is difficult to differentiate this condition from ovarian hypoplasia based on single examination. Re-examination, preferably after correction of feeding practices, might be necessary.

Ovaritis or Oophoritis-
 Inflamation or infection of the ovary also known as ovaritis or oophoritis occurs 
 secondary to trauma 
 to infection from the uterus that passes through the oviducts 
 by extension of infection through the uterine walls 

 Associated with marked enlargement of the ovary.
 In acute ovaritis, enlargement is due to edema.
 Diagnosis of chronic ovaritis is based on enlarged fibrotic ovaries and presence of organized adhesions to the surrounding structures, primarily to the mesosalpinx.

Miscellaneous Ovarian Conditions -

 Include abscesses and tumors. Both of these conditions result in a greatly enlarged, usually firm ovary and may be associated with bursal and uterine adhesions 

 Abscessed ovaries may have a softened area within the firm mass and may cause pain when palpated 

 Unaffected ovary may function normally so that cyclic structures may be palpated 

 Only those associated with enlargement of the oviduct are detectable clinically.

Hydrosalpinx-

Hydrosalphinx is the local or general enlargement of the oviduct

 Manifests itself in the form of enlarged segments of varying length 

 Local enlargements may resemble ovaries in size. When the entire oviduct is involved, it appears as a conglomerate of a fluctuating tube
 The width of the enlarged oviduct varies from case to case and may reach 2 cm. in diameter
 Impossible to pathologicaly differentiate serosalpinx, pyosalpinx and hemosalpinx by clinical examination
 Adhesions may be present between the loops of the enlarged oviducts 

Pyosalphinx -
 Follows severe uterine infection and is less commonly reported than hydrosalphinx
 Associated with severe adhesions of the mesosalphinx and mesovarium.

May also follow -
removal of retained corpus luteum 
injection of large doses of estrogen 

ABNORMALITIES INVOLVING THE MESOSALPHINX AND OVARIAN BURSA-

 Clinical differentiation between parasalpingitis, perisalpingitis and ovarian bursitis is practically impossible.
 For clinical purposes, perisalpingitis appears to be the most correct term to describe the inflammation and the consequent thickening and adhesion formation involving mesosalpinx, mesovarium and salpinx.
Other structures in the area, such as the ovaries, the horns of the uterus and others, might also be embedded in the adhesions.
 Very fine adhesions between the ovary and fimbria-the fringes of the edge of the infundibulum-are present in numerous animals, especially immediately after ovulation. These do not appear to interfere with the normal function of the oviduct.

Laparoscopy -

 The reproductive tract can be directly visualized by laparoscopy/endoscopy 

Ultrasonographic Examination-
  The uterus and ovaries can be indirectly examined by ultrasonographic techniques 

 Real-time ultrasound, in which a two-dimensional “sonic picture” is generated from echoes 

The use of ultrasonography to diagnose pregnancy, normal ovarian structures, uterine and ovarian pathology.

Also Read-   Pyometra  in Animals