ORIGINAL RESEARCH Pathological study of non-neoplastic urinary bladder lesions in cattle and buffaloes: a preliminary report Ramesh Somvanshi & Sonia Pathania & Nagappan Nagarajan & Kanchan Pangty & Pawan Kumar Accepted: 31 August 2011 /Published online: 21 September 2011 # Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2011 Abstract A total of 236 urinary bladders (94 cattle and 142 buffaloes) collected from Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, India, were studied for spontaneous lesions. These adult animals belonged to Institute’ s organized dairy farm and rural areas in the Rohilkhand region of Uttar Pradesh. Grossly, congestion, hemorrhages, and cystoliths in urinary bladders were diagnosed. Histopathologically, the major conditions diagnosed were acute cystitis, 44 (18.64%), including, congestion, hemorrhages, sub-acute cystitis; chronic cysti- tis, 74 (31.35%), including chronic cystitis un-complicated type, lymphocytic cystitis, plasmolymphocytic cystitis, follicular cystitis, hyperplasia, nodular/acinar hyperplasia, and cystolithiasis; and nothing unusual diagnosed, 118 (50.00%). Similar types of pathological conditions were diagnosed in both species of animals with exception of follicular cystitis and nodular/acinar hyperplasia which was diagnosed respectively only in buffaloes and cystoliths in cows. In addition, a good number of 17/25 (68%) urinary bladder samples tested were found positive for presence of bovine papillomavirus type-2 (BPV-2) by polymerase chain reaction. These included eight cases of acute cystitis, an equal number of cases of chronic cystitis, and one normal bladder. BPV-2 is known as potential source of enzootic bovine hematuria along with other co-factors in enzootic areas. Lesions of zoonotic significance, like tuberculosis, etc., were not diagnosed. None of the observed lesions represented conditions, which, by themselves, would warrant carcass condemnation in buffaloes. Keywords Cattle . Buffalo . Non-neoplastic urinary bladder lesions . Cystitis . Bovine papillomavirus type-2 Introduction Cattle and buffaloes are backbone of rural economy of tropical regions of South Asian countries and elsewhere. They are a main source of milk, meat, work power, and manure. Non-infectious and systemic pathological con- ditions are not systematically investigated for diseases and ailments. Lower urinary system is an unexplored area. Bovine cystitis is an inflammation of the urinary bladder of cattle that may ascend the ureters to cause pyelonephritis. The condition is sporadic and worldwide in distribution. It is most often seen after parturition, with multiparous cows being at highest risk, but the prevalence is low (1–2%). The most common causative agents are the Corynebacterium renale group of bacteria as well as Escherichia coli. Urinary bladder pathology is the most neglected area in bovines and a totally untouched area in buffaloes. Abattoir survey of urinary bladder lesions in cattle and buffaloes are useful when considering revision of inspection procedures for the urinary system especially for cases of kidney diseases or ruptured bladder secondary to urolithiasis. The lesions, such as tuberculosis and actinobacillosis that would have an effect on carcass disposition, as well as the prevalence of bovine enzootic hematuria, are ailments of interest (Herenda et al. 1990). Due to a lack of standard veterinary classification of urinary bladder lesions, non- neoplastic lesions are grouped in diverse ways by different veterinary pathologists. On necropsy, non-proliferative lesions in urinary bladder of bovines revealed thickened wall and dull red mucosa R. Somvanshi (*) : S. Pathania : N. Nagarajan : K. Pangty : P. Kumar Division of Pathology, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar UP 243 122, India e-mail: dr.rsomvanshi@gmail.com Trop Anim Health Prod (2012) 44:855–861 DOI 10.1007/s11250-011-9978-y