The Case of White Muscle Disease in a Roe Deer

In this study, the case of White Muscle Disease was described in a male roe deer, aged 10‐months old, found as previously injured in a forest in Artvin city. The necropsy of the deer was made after death of the animal currently receiving a fracture treatment of the left tibial bone. Body condition of the animal was poor. There was subcutaneous gelatinous oedema and petechial haemorrhagic areas on the regions of right scapula and the neck. Similar haemorrhagic areas were also observed in the muscles of the same regions. An open fracture was detected on the left tibial bone treated previously. There were putrification as well as muscular oedema, haemorrhagie and necrosis on the fractured area. There were also petechial haemorrhagic areas on all the visceral organs. Surprisingly, a number of focal linear areas, 1‐2 cm in size, changing from white to yellow in colour, were detected on the right ventriculus of the heart. Likewise, a further focal area, 1 x 1 cm‐in size, was observed near to the apex of left ventriculus. Microscopically, the cells of heart muscles had hyaline degeneration and they were swollen, pink‐coloured and homogenous in appearance. There were also mononuclear cell infiltrations in the interstitial and perivascular areas. To our knowledge, the present case of white muscle disease observed in a wild deer is being the first report in Turkey.