For Cockatiel GI anatomy

Anatomia, Histologia, Embryologia 2024

A. L. R. Marques, I. J. Oliveira, V. E. Mamgue, R. L. Perin, L. E. Silva, L. Gruchouskei, G. F. Gonçalves, P. Romagnolli

Background
Cockatiels, a globally popular bird species, often present at veterinary hospitals due to digestive issues that affect their quality of life. This study provides a comprehensive anatomical and histological description of the cockatiel digestive tract, aiming to improve understanding of its morphology and its relevance to clinical care and disease management.

Methods
-Sample: Five adult cockatiels obtained from a veterinary hospital were studied.
-Procedures: Birds were dissected to measure the length and diameter of digestive tract segments, and samples were processed for histological examination using staining techniques like hematoxylin and eosin, Masson's trichrome, and periodic acid-Schiff.
-Analysis: Data were assessed using descriptive statistics, with results presented as mean ± standard deviation for normally distributed data and as medians for non-normal distributions.

Results
Macroscopic Anatomy:
-The digestive tract includes the cervical and celomic oesophagus, ingluvies (crop), glandular and muscular stomachs, and small and large intestines.
-Measurements showed segment variability. For example, the cervical oesophagus averaged 2.2 cm in length, while the jejunum was the longest segment at 14.2 cm.
-The muscular stomach was robust, indicative of adaptation to the cockatiel's granivorous diet.

Microscopic Anatomy:
-Oesophagus: Non-cornified, stratified squamous epithelium with abundant submucosal glands in the celomic oesophagus but absent in the cervical portion.
-Glandular Stomach: Lined with simple columnar epithelium, containing PAS-positive cells and compound tubuloalveolar glands.
-Muscular Stomach: Featured a protective gastric cuticle and thick muscle layers organized into inner circular and outer longitudinal layers.
-Intestines: The small intestine had villi with simple columnar epithelium and goblet cells, while the large intestine exhibited reduced villi and simple tubular glands.

Limitations
The small sample size and lack of information on bird age, diet, and other variables limit the applicability of findings. These factors could influence morphological variability.

Conclusions
The cockatiel's digestive tract shares similarities with other granivorous birds but exhibits unique features, such as the absence of oesophageal glands in the cervical portion and adaptations for seed-based diets. This baseline knowledge can assist veterinarians in diagnosing and managing gastrointestinal diseases, contributing to better clinical outcomes for these birds.

Cockatiel dissection photographs (A, C, D) and radiography images (B). Cervical (1) and celomic oesophagus (3) as long, narrow tubes and its sacciform dilation, the ingluvies (2). The glandular (4) and muscular (5) stomachs, elongated and globose, respectively, to the left of the median plane. The intestine with a U-shaped duodenum (6), colon (7) and cloaca (8) can be seen coiled in the caudal part of the celomic cavity. Additional structures were identified for providing topographic references for anatomical studies: Trachea (9), heart (10), liver (11), pancreas (12) and keel of the sternum (13). Scale: 1 cm.

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