10230 - Special Veterinary Pathology I

Learning outcomes

Aethiology, pathogenesis, gross and microscopic features of the more relevant diseases and disorders of the following systems or organ: nervous system, eye, liver, pancreas, grastrointestinal tract, muscle, bone, joints, male and female genital system, endocrine glands. The student should acquire skills sufficient to identify a lesion, describe it using the appropriate terminology, and plan a differential diagnosis.

Course contents

The course is part of the Integrated Course “Special Veterinary Pathology”; the verbalizing teacher is Prof. Giuseppe Sarli, holder of the Special Veterinary Pathology II module.

The course is divided into three modules. Module 1 (Giuliano Bettini) mainly deals with frontal lectures and modules 2 and 3 (Maria Morini and Silvia Sabattini) mainly with practices.

The course participates at the University's teaching innovation project for the 2025-2026 academic year. The project foresees that 10 hours of the 45 hours of frontal lectures will be provided in asynchronous mode, i.e. self learning on integrative teaching material and recorded lectures available online on the platform VIRTUALE.

The exact subdivision between topics covered in the classroom and available online will be presented in the classroom. It is strongly recommended to enjoy the remote part according to the suggested mode and chronology.

MODULE 1 - FRONTAL LECTURES (45 hours)

THE LIVER (8 hours). Anatomy and physiology remnants. Physiopathology of liver failure. Post mortem changes. Growth anomalies. Portosystemic shunts. Liver ectopy. Liver rupture. Atrophy. Regressive changes: steroid hepatopathy, lipidosis, amiloidosis. Pigmentary changes, jaundice. Necrosis of the liver: causes, pathobiology, examples. Circulatory disorders: hyperaemia, thrombosis, portal hypertension, telangiectasis. Acute, chronic and granulomatous hepatitises. Hepatitis. Serous hepatitis. Leptospirosis. Purulent hepatitis. Necrotizing hepatitis. Viral hepatitis. Infectious hepatitis in dogs. Viral hepatitis of leporids. Viral hepatitis in pigs. Rift Valley Fever. Chronic active hepatitis. Cholangiohepatitis. Granulomatous hepatitis. Parasitic disorders of the liver: coccidiosis, distomatosis, echinococcosis, cysticercosis, microascaridiosis. Nodular hyperplasia, Kisselev nodules. Hepatic fibrosis. Hepatic cirrhosis. Primary and secondary liver tumours.

THE PANCREAS (2 hours). Regressive lesions. Atrophy, necrosis. Acute and chronic pancreatitis. Tumours.

THE GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT (8 hours). Oral cavity and pharynx: congenital abnormalities. Palatoschisis (cleft palate). Stomatitis. Vesicular stomatitis: footh and mouth disease, malignant catarrhal fever, blue tongue. Uremic stomatitis. Eosinophilic feline ulcera. Lymphoplasmacytic stomatitis. Actinobacillary glossitis. Oral tumors. Papilloma. Squamous cell carcinoma. Melanoma. Fibrosarcoma. Odontogenic tumors. Sialoadenitis. Oesophagus: congenital abnormalities, megaoesophagus. Oesophagitis, parasites (sarcosporidiosis, spirocercosis), tumors. Prestomach: bloat, foreign bodies, acute and deep ruminitis, parasites. Stomach/abomasum. Gastric torsion and abomasum displacement. Gastric ulceration. Swine gastroesophageal ulcer. Bovine abomasal ulcer. Gastritis/abomasitis. Parasites. Tumors. Intestine . Congenital abnormalities. Bowel displacement. Ectopias. Hernia. Invagination. Volvulus. Foreign bodies. Enteritis. Diarrhea physiopathology. Colibacillosis, oedema disease, proliferative enteropathy due to Lawsonia intracellularis, clostridiosis, drug colitis, mucoid enteropathy, pseudotuberculosis, paratuberculosis, yersiniosis. Intestinal parasites. Coccidiosis. Teniasis. Strongilosis. Ascaridiosis. Intestinal tumors.

THE PERITONEUM (2 hours). Abnormal contents. Ascites. Peritonitis. FIP. Mesothelioma.

ENDOCRINE GLANDS (5 hours). The pituitary: cysts, inflammation, functional and non functional tumours. Adrenals: regressive changes, inflammation, hypertrophy, tumours, the Cushing sundrome. The thyroid: goitre, tiroiditis, tumours. The parathyroid: hyperparathyroidism. Paraganglia: chemodectoma. Endocrine pancreas: diabetes mellitus, islet cell tumours.

MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM (6 hours). Bones. Systemic and localized bone malformations. Metabolic alterations of bone tissue. Osteomalacia. Rickets. Osteoporosis. Fibrous osteodystrophy. Hypertrophic osteodystrophies. Osteitis. Periostitis. Osteomyelitis. Granulomatous osteomyelitis. Primary and secondary neoplasms of bone tissue. Osteosarcoma. Muscles. Regressive alterations. Congenital and hereditary myopathies. Arthrogryposis. Congenital myofibrillar hypoplasia. Congenital muscle hyperplasia. Muscular dystrophies. Myasthenia gravis. Nutritional myopathies. Exercise, stress and toxic myopathies. Myositis. Purulent myositis. Gangrenous myosites. Malignant edema. Eosinophilic myositis. Granulomatous myositis. Muscle parasites. Sarcosporidiosis. Toxoplasmosis. Cysticercosis. Trichinellosis. Primary and secondary muscle tumors. Joints. Degenerative arthropathies. Arthritis. Infectious arthritis. Aseptic arthritis. Tumors

THE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM (4 hours). Male genital system: cryptorchidism, orchitis, tumours of the testis, prostatic cysts, prostatic hyperplasia, prostatitis, prostatic tumors. Transmissible venereal tumour. Penis carcinoma. Female genital system: ovarian cysts, ovarian neoplasms, cystic endometrial hyperplasia, endometritis, pyometra, metritis, uterine tumours.

NERVOUS SYSTEM (8 hours). Elementary lesions of the nervous system. Congenital and inherited diseases. Hydrocephalus. Circulatory disorders. Embolism. Ischaemia. Cerebral infarction. Functional ischemic encephalopathies. Thrombosis. Cerebral oedema. Meningeal haemorrhages and cerebral haemorrhages. Atrophy. Necrosis. Pathological calcifications. Cholesteatosis of the choroid plexuses. Neurodegenerative diseases. Polioencephalomalacia of ruminants. Salt poisoning. Mycotoxic leukoencephalomalacia. Equine motor neuron disease. Hepatic encephalopathy. Neurotoxicosis. Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. Inflammation of the central nervous system. Meningitis. Encephalitis and myelitis. Lymphocytic encephalomyelitis. Purulent encephalomyelitis. Granulomatous encephalomyelitis. Parasitic diseases of the nervous system. Protozoan encephalitis. Equine protozoan encephalomyelitis. Coenurosis. Myiasis. Peripheral nervous system disorders. Neoplasms of the nervous system. Meningioma. Astrocytoma. Oligodendroglioma. Esthesioneuroblastoma. Ependymoma. Papilloma and carcinoma of the choroid plexuses. Schwannoma. Neurofibroma. Traumatic neuroma.

THE EYE (2 hours). Blefaritis. Congiuntivitis. Keratitis. Uveitis. Cataratta. Glaucoma. Retinic degeneration. Eye neoplasms.

MODULES 2 and 3 -PRACTICES (15 hours)

Practices has the main objective of applying the knowledge acquired in the theoretical part. In particular, the student is expected to acquire familiarity with the anatomopathological methods (mainly macroscopic), acquire the ability to identify a lesion and describe it with appropriate terminology, acquire the ability to rework what has been learned in the theoretical part to set up a differential diagnosis (professional skills)

• Exercises in the anatomy room with organs from the slaughterhouse (6 hours)
• Autopsy exercises on dogs and cats (2 hours)
• Autopsy exercises on pigs (2 hours)
• Histopathology exercise (2 hours)
• Visit to the Museum of Pathological Anatomy (1 hour)
• Interactive exercises (2 hours)

Readings/Bibliography

The teaching materials for this course are available on the Virtuale Learning Environment (https://virtuale.unibo.it/?lang=en ).

• PS Marcato: Patologia Sistematica Veterinaria. Seconda Edizione. Edagricole, Bologna, 2015
• ZACHARY-McGAVIN Pathologic basis of veterinary disease 5° ed., Elsevier, 2011
• MAXIE Jubb, Kennedy, Palmer's Pathology of Domestic Animals 3 voll. 6° ed., W.B. Saunders, 2015

The material projected in class, useful as an outline for exam preparation, is available on institutional platforms.

Teaching methods

The course includes both theoretical lectures and practical/laboratory sessions.

Module 1 (theoretical part): monothematic lectures and seminars in the classroom (35 hours) and self-learning on supplementary and online teaching materials (10 hours). The supplementary teaching materials will be aimed at preparing students organized in small groups for the presentation of topics and exemplifying clinical cases

Modules 2 and 3 (practical part): exercises of macroscopic pathological anatomy on viscera of slaughtered animals specially taken from the slaughterhouse and on cases selected from the diagnostic routine of the pathological anatomy service; participation in the execution of necropsies on cases assigned to the service for diagnostic purposes; exercises in histopathology; visit to the Museum of Veterinary Pathology.

Particular attention will be paid to compliance with biosecurity procedures.

Considering the types of activities and teaching methods adopted, attendance for this course requires the successful completion of Modules 1 and 2 via e-learning, and Module 3 on health and safety training in study environments. Information about the schedule and access to Module 3 is available in the dedicated section of the Degree Program website.

Participation in practical and laboratory sessions requires wearing a lab coat and appropriate footwear. Suitable personal protective equipment (PPE), such as disposable latex gloves, will be provided as needed.

Assessment methods

The final examination is designed to assess the achievement of the main learning outcomes of the course: (1) To know the aetiopathogenesis and macroscopic and microscopic morphological features of the main diseases affecting the organs and systems addressed in the course; (2) to know how to recognize an organ lesion and describe it using the appropriate terminology; (3) to be able to formulate and discuss a list of possible differential diagnoses starting from a macroscopic lesion and suggest how to establish a final diagnosis.

The examination consists of a written test, a practical test and an oral test. The three tests are taken at the same time, usually on the same day. Given the close integration of all three tests they cannot be taken separately. It is the student's right to choose whether to take the exam for the part of Special Veterinary Pathology 1 only or for the entire integrated course (Special Veterinary Pathology 1 and 2). In the latter case both tests are held at the same time. Separate examination lists are published for this purpose.

a) Written test

The written test can be carried out on paper or electronically using the available platforms. The aim of the written test is to ascertain that the student has an adequate body of knowledge relating to the course contents. Students who fail the written test are not eligible to sit the subsequent parts of the examination. The written test includes 20 questions (10 multiple choice questions and 10 short open-ended questions).

- Each multiple choice question has four alternatives and only one correct answer. The possible scores are 0 (incorrect) or 1 (correct). Failure to answer is deemed incorrect

- In open-ended questions the answer must fit in the space allotted. The score ranges from 0 to 1 depending on the accuracy of the answer and adherence to the question. Failure to answer is scored zero.

- The time allotted for the written test is 60 minutes. During the test students are not allowed to use support material like textbooks, notes or computers.

- A total score of at least 12 points is required to pass the test and sit the subsequent parts of the examination.

b) Practical test

The aim of the practical test is to ascertain that the student is able to recognize an organ lesion and knows how to describe it using the appropriate terminology. The student is shown a pathological organ or photograph reproducing an organ lesion. The student must recognize the organ and species to which it belongs, identify the lesion and describe it using the standard international descriptive method presented during the course. The candidate is deemed suitable if the test is passed. Students who fail the practical test are required to resit the entire examination.

c) Oral test

The aim of the oral test is to ascertain the student's ability to apply his/her body of knowledge with the necessary logico-deductive skills. The oral test is usually based on the lesion observed in the practical test. The student is asked to formulate a list of differential diagnoses fitting the lesion morphology and to discuss the elements for and against the various hypotheses advanced, suggesting how the final diagnosis could be reached. Test questions are designed to elicit in-depth information on the diseases called into play. Special attention is paid to the student's ability to undertake transverse reasoning and to link the course information with the information acquired from courses attended in previous years. The oral test score ranges from 0 (zero) to 10 (ten). A total score of at least 6 points is required to pass the test. Students who fail to obtain 6 points are required to resit the entire examination.

The final score expressed in marks out of thirty is sum of the oral test score and the written test score and shall be recorded immediately. To pass the exam it is necessary to obtain a minimum final grade of 18/30. Students awarded full marks in all parts of the examination shall be awarded the top mark of 30 cum laude.

Procedures concerning the booking and dates of the exam sessions

Students can register for exams through the AlmaEsami platform (http://almaesami.unibo.it/). Exams are scheduled during the designated periods in the academic calendar. Additional sessions are available for students beyond the standard program duration.

It is not possible to take the exam if the prerequisites identified by the Degree Course Council have not been respected.

If it is not possible to finish the list of students enrolled on the day of the exam, depending on the availability of time, the teacher reserves the right to assign the candidates not examined to another day by drawing up an exam calendar on the first day of the exam.

Students who do not pass the oral exam are allowed to retake it at the next session, which is usually held at least two weeks after the previous one

Students with learning disorders and/or temporary or permanent disabilities: please, contact the office responsible (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students) as soon as possible so that they can propose acceptable adjustments. The request for adaptation must be submitted in advance (15 days before the exam date) to the lecturer, who will assess the appropriateness of the adjustments, taking into account the teaching objectives.- Examinations cannot be taken without fulfilling the propedeutic requirements specified by the degree course committee.

Teaching tools

Powerpoint slides

Supplementary teaching material on the Veterinary Teaching Portal (https://www.portaledidatticovet.org/) and on the course page on https://virtuale.unibo.it/

In case of difficulty understanding the course content, the instructor is available for clarification meetings, which must be scheduled via email.

Office hours

See the website of Giuliano Bettini

See the website of Maria Morini

See the website of Silvia Sabattini