PERSISTENT CLOACA AND CAUDAL SPINAL AGENESIS IN CALVES - 3 CASES

Three newborn calves were affected by caudal spinal dysgenesis or agen esis (coccygeal vertebra) and persistent cloaca. The cloacas were line d by a mixture of transitional and colonic epithelium. The vertebral c olumn of one calf was internalized into the cloaca. The association of persistent cloaca and caudal spinal anomalies is thought to be relate d to cell loss in the caudal cell mass, which affects caudal spinal co lumn formation and cleavage of the cloaca by the urorectal septum. Thi s association is well documented in humans and has been reported in Ma nx cats. By extrapolation, it appears likely to exist also in neonatal calves. Identification of cloacal lesions in neonatal animals should be cause for careful examination of the vertebral column because many of the associated spinal lesions are occult.