Ultrasound Diagnosis in Small Ruminants: Occurrence and Description of Genital Pathologies

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Reproductive pathologies represent a significant barrier to achieving a highly productive flock, which makes securing a fast, low-invasiveness, and low-cost diagnosis very important. In this research, we report on an eight-year retrospective study (2012–2020) of ultrasound data carried out in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, to explore the occurrence and appearance of certain reproductive tract pathologies of small ruminants. A total of 3463 animals from 16 sheep flocks (1688 ewes and 55 rams) and ten dairy goat flocks (1704 does and 16 bucks) raised under extensive and intensive management systems, respectively, were used in the study. All animals were submitted to ultrasound examination of their reproductive tracts, which occurred during the breeding and outbreeding seasons. From the 8.98% of does that presented reproductive disorders, the most frequent finding was hydrometra (50.98% of cases), while for 4.14% of ewes presenting disorders, recent fetal loss (22.85%) and cystic endometrial hyperplasia (20%) were the most frequent. For males, 43.63% and 56.25% of rams and bucks, respectively, presented disorders; for rams mainly microlithiasis. Ultrasonography provided clinically useful information about the reproductive tract, both in terms of the disorders and their stages, making the establishment of a diagnosis easier, and also making it possible to improve therapy, as well as the prognosis prediction. ABSTRACT: This study reports the occurrence and appearance of various reproductive tract pathologies of small ruminants diagnosed using ultrasound. An eight-year retrospective study of collected ultrasound data was carried out in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil from September 2012 to July 2020. A total of 3463 animals from 16 sheep flocks and 10 dairy goat flocks, raised under extensive and intensive management systems, respectively, were used in the study. All animals were submitted to an ultrasound examination of their reproductive tract. Data were analyzed using Fisher’s exact test (p < 0.05), to compare disorder frequencies within and between species. Ewes (4.14%) had fewer reproductive disorders than does (8.98%), while rams (43.63%) and bucks (56.25%) presented no significant differences. Hydrometra was the most frequent finding in does, represented by 50.98% of cases; while, in ewes, recent fetal loss (22.85%) and cystic endometrial hyperplasia (20.00%) were the most frequent. In bucks, the findings showed no clear differences; while, for rams, the most frequent finding was testicular microlithiasis (75.00%). Ultrasonography offers clinically useful information about the reproductive tract via the images it provides; knowledge of which makes it possible to improve the diagnosis, therapy, and prognosis of genital pathologies.