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This research evaluates the relationship between visual heart scores and histologic findings in cattle tissues at harvest.

April 22, 2026Animals0 citationsOpen Access

Association of Visual Heart Score with Gross Lung Pathology and Histology of Hepatic and Cardiopulmonary Tissues in Cattle at Harvest

MJMakenna J. Jensen BWBrad J. White RLRobert L. Larson

Key Points

This research evaluates the relationship between visual heart scores and histologic findings in cattle tissues at harvest.
Cattle hearts assessed using a heart score scale of 1–5 based on gross lesions.
Histologic samples collected included cardiac, pulmonary, and hepatic tissues for evaluation.
Associations between heart scores and EMPCs, lung deflation scores, and histological findings were analyzed.
Cattle with abnormal lung deflation scores were significantly more likely to have higher heart scores.
Presence of EMPCs in cardiac sections was associated with higher heart scores.
No significant histological findings linked lung or liver pathology to heart scores.

Abstract

Non-infectious cardiac failure in feedyard cattle has become more frequently diagnosed. There is limited research assessing gross and histologic lesions in grossly abnormal hearts of harvested cattle. Cases were stratified by heart score (HS) using a scale of 1–5, with 1 representing a normal heart and 5 representing severely remodeled ventricles. Cattle were evaluated for gross lesions of the heart, lung, and liver. Samples collected from each animal for histology included cardiac (n = 4), pulmonary (n = 4), and hepatic (n = 1) tissues. Histologic evaluation scored cardiac and hepatic fibrosis and necrosis, embedded myocardial protozoal cysts (EMPCs) were quantified, and pulmonary lesions were categorized based on histologic patterns. Of 103 cases, 40 had normal HSs (NHSs) (1 or 2), and 63 had abnormal HSs (AHSs) (3, 4, or 5). There were 64 cases with normal lung deflation scores, and 39 cases with abnormal lung deflation scores. At least one cardiac section contained EMPCs in 67 cases. Cattle with abnormal lung deflation scores were more likely to have an AHS (0.76 ± 0.07, p ≤ 0.01) compared with cattle with normal deflation scores (0.52 ± 0.06). Cattle with EMPCs present in at least one cardiac section were more likely to also have an AHS (0.73 ± 0.05, p ≤ 0.1) compared with cattle without EMPCs (0.39 ± 0.08). No histological findings for the lungs or liver were associated with abnormal heart score; however, lung deflation and EMPCs were associated with abnormal heart score.

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