Special Veterinary Pathology

Display

DISPLAY STAGE

The display stage is that part necropsy examination when all the organs are exposed for close inspection. This stage is the best time to examine the whole carcass where all organs are exposed and remains untouched

• Examine the exposed organs and note their relations, position, and external appearance
• Lift carefully the organs for a much-detailed examination of the whole structure
• Exercise extra care so as not to unnecessarily displace the organs at this stage
• If frank or clotted blood is present in any of the body cavities, carefully look for possible bleeding points
• Should this be noted in the abdominal cavity, take particular attention to the surfaces of the liver and look for small fissures and cracks on the surface
• In most traumatic conditions (e.g., vehicular accidents involving small animals), fissures and cracks on the liver parenchyma may be subtle or not clear
• Unfortunately, handling may easily produce the same and thus information concerning this condition is easily lost or overlooked
• Manipulation and unintentional cutting of blood vessels may leak blood into the body cavity and make the appreciation of internal bleeding difficult
• Evidence of gastrointestinal accidents (torsion, volvulus, intussusception, strangulation, tears in the omentum and mesenteries) is best examined at the display stage
• Excessive manipulation of organs could easily dislocate relationship of organs, making the examination and recognition of strangulation, volvulus and intususception difficult
• Similarly, small holes in the omentum or mesentry caused by abdominal accidents most often are overlooked, easily lost, or inadvertently produced
• Specimens for laboratory examination is required, the display stage is the best time to collect the required samples
• Tissue blocks intended for histopathological studies should be collected at this stage
• This is recommended since excessive handling of organs and tissues during the examination stage will most often produce artefacts in tissue sections
• After carefully observing the organs at this point, the detailed examination of any organ or organ system follows.