Chronic Edema Associated with Cor Pulmonale in Cattle

For nearly 30 years, a chronic disease causing severe chronic subcutaneous edema of unknown etiology has been affecting cattle in the Central-Northern and Central-Southern mesoregions of the State of Bahia, Brazil. In this research we investigated 15 outbreaks of the disease, from October 2023 to April 2025, to determine its etiopathogenesis, epidemiology, clinical signs, and pathology. The disease occurs during the dry season in areas of native forest. It is characterized by chronic subcutaneous edema, especially in the regions of the head, dewlap, chest, and thoracic limbs, and by hydropericardium, hydrothorax, ascites, and right ventricular dilation. Marked hypertrophy of smooth muscle cells in the tunica media of arteries and arterioles, sometimes with an eccentric, irregular, and asymmetric arrangement, were the main histologic lesions observed. The thicknesses of the media of pulmonary and heart arteries and arterioles of 10 affected cattle were significantly thicker than those from 10 control cattle. The tunica adventitia was thickened with increased deposition of collagen, and the intima was hyperplasic. The aorta and carotid arteries showed multifocal smooth muscle cell proliferation in the tunica media. It is concluded that the disease is due to right heart failure due to pulmonary arterial hypertension (chronic cor pulmonale). Epidemiological data and inspections of affected pastures suggest that the disease is caused by a toxic plant.