CHAPTER XIII 



NON-VENEREAL INFECTIONS WHICH INVADE 



THE GENITALIA 



1. Genital Actinomycosis 



Although actinomycosis may invade any organ in the 

 body, it rarely involves the genital system. Apparently 

 this is not due to any notable resistance of the genital or- 

 gans against this infection, but rather to the comparative 

 infrequency of exposure. Actinomycosis of the genital or- 

 gans of cattle does occur, possibly with greater frequency 

 than recorded diagnoses would indicate. Clinically, I have 

 observed actinomycosis of the prepuce, sheath, and inguinal 

 lymphatics in a bull. There was present in the prepuce an 

 actinomycotic mass five or six inches in diameter and in the 

 peripenial and inguinal lymph glands several actinomycotic 

 masses. One instance of penial actinomycosis in the bull 

 has been brought to my attention, in which there was upon 

 the glans an actinomycotic tumor about one inch in diame- 

 ter. The veterinarian under whose observation the case oc- 

 curred very naturally diagnosed penial tuberculosis. 



I have seen two clinical cases of genital actinomycosis in 

 cows. In my first case there was merely the history of ster- 

 ility in a highly valued pedigreed cow regarding which a 

 colleague called me in consultation. There were extensive 

 pelvic adhesions, with indistinct outlines of the genitalia 

 and large, indurated abscesses in the mesometrium. Since 

 the animal was evidently incurable, she was slaughtered. 

 Autopsy revealed several sclerotic abscesses, three to four 

 inches in diameter, located in the mesometrium, with other 

 abscesses in the liver. Histologic search showed that the 

 abscesses were actinomycotic in origin. No definite avenue 

 of invasion was determined. 



My second case of genital actinomycosis was in a cow that 

 had calved and had suffered from retained placenta. I at- 

 tended her and removed the placenta manually. Apparently 

 she did well for a time but after a few months, as she failed 

 to breed or to show estrum, she was again examined. I 



