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Necropsy of 2 white-tailed deer fawns who died acutely revealed diarrhea and melena in case No. 1 and no gross changes in case No. 2. Histologically, the livers of both deer displayed multifocal coagulative necrosis, with infiltrations of neutrophils, macrophages, and lymphocytes. By Warthin-Starry staining, bundles of filamentous bacteria were identified within hepatocytes at the periphery of the necrotic foci in case No. 1. There was multifocal myocardiocyte necrosis in case No. 1 and multifocal lymphoid necrosis of the Peyer's patches in case No. 2. Clostridium piliforme 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid gene was detected in both livers by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with C. piliforme-specific primers. The liver copper levels in both cases were normal to slightly elevated. The kidney copper level in case No. 2 was elevated. This represents the first published cases of Tyzzer's disease in deer, a novel use of PCR for the diagnosis of C piliforme infection, and a possible association between copper toxicosis and Tyzzer's disease.

We examined 28 suckling, weanling, and young adult rabbits with lethargy, inappetence, and mucinous, semifluid feces. Sixteen of the rabbits had intestinal lesions. In eight of these rabbits, the primary changes were multifocal to diffuse epithelial proliferation and accumulation of lymphocytes, macrophages, or both in the lamina propria of the small intestine, cecum, and sacculated colon. In two of these rabbits, the accumulation of macrophages in the lamina propria was extensive. The other eight rabbits had erosive and suppurative cecocolitis, and four of the rabbits with proliferative lesions also had suppurative cecocolitis. In Warthin-Starry-stained sections of affected intestine, curved or spiral bacteria were visible within degenerated or hyperplastic epithelium, in luminal exudate, or in both. Such organisms were sparse or not found in the other 12 rabbits, which did not have intestinal lesions. The bacteria ultrastructurally resembled intraepithelial Campylobacter-like bacteria previously observed in proliferative enteritis in a variety of species and in acute typhlitis in young rabbits. In immunofluorescence tests, Campylobacter-like bacteria in epithelial cells, crypt lumina, and in luminal exudates in both proliferative and erosive lesions bound monoclonal antibodies and polyclonal antisera prepared against intracellular bacteria found in proliferative enteritis in pigs, hamsters, and ferrets. These observations indicate that a condition similar to proliferative enteritis of swine, hamsters, and other species also occurs in laboratory rabbits.

Chronic hypertrophic gastritis, proliferative gastritis, or hyperplastic gastritis are generic terms in dogs for rare conditions characterized by a marked thickening of gastric rugae due to mucosal hyperplasia. The lesions may predominantly involve the mucosa of the body of the stomach, as in Menetrier’s disease in human beings,14 or the antral mucosa, as the name antral pyloric hypertrophy syndrome implies4 Similar gastric lesions have been seen as isolated findings, in Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, as part of the gastrointestinal disease affecting Basenji dogs and dogs with mast cell tumors.’ The causes are unknown; however, immune or hormonal disorders, environmental factors, and genetic predispositions may be involved in the pathogenesis.

A 5-year-old male Golden Retriever was examined because of a chronic localizedloss of hair and elevated, multiple white nodules 2-8 mm in diameter that coalesced in several areas on the right side of the neck. The principle change was marked hyperplasia of the dermal collagen. The lesion is compatible with the connective tissue nevus described in man. Connective tissue nevus in man was first described in 1921 by LEWAN- DOWSKY (3). In the three cases the skin lesion was on one side of the chest and consisted of slightly raised yellowish, multiple 1-5 mm papules. There was disappearance and degeneration of elastic fibers along the epidermal- dermal junction and in dermal papillae. Since that time similar lesions have been reported - some with hyperplasia or degeneration in the elastic tissue, others with a coarsening and homogenization of the collagen bundles, or a combination of the two. This paper gives what is believed to be the first report of a connective tissue nevus in an adult dog.

Skin biopsies were taken from 16 monkeys with measles rash. Histopathological changes consisted of multinucleated epithelial giant cells in the epidermis and hair follicles, proliferative and degenerative changes of the epidermis, and mild inflammation of the dermis. Necropsies were performed on two monkeys with a typical rash and on 26 additional monkeys that died during outbreaks in the colony. Lesions attributable to rubeola virus were found in the respiratory system, lymphoid system, gastrointestinal tract, salivary glands, thyroid gland, liver, pancreas, and urinary system. In these organs the finding that was characteristic of measles was the presence of syncytial giant cells, some of which contained both intranuclear and cytoplasmic inclusions. The significance of syncytia and the mechanism of their formation are discussed.