Arquivo Brasileiro de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (Aug 2014)

Precocidade sexual em bovinos Nelore avaliada por ultrassonografia testicular

  • D.J. Cardilli,
  • G.H. Toniollo,
  • A.A. Pastore,
  • J.C. Canola,
  • J.A. Oliveira,
  • M.E.Z. Mercadante

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1590/1678-6736
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 66, no. 4
pp. 1296 – 1298

Abstract

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The present study aimed to evaluate if there are differences in testicular parenchyma echogenicity between pre-pubescent and pubescent animals at the same age. Ultrasound examinations were performed in longitudinal and transversal planes of the testicles of 111 healthy Nelore bovines, at the ages of nine, 13 and 15 months. The EIV software calculated the echogenicity of the testicular parenchyma, which ranged from 0 (anechoic) to 100% (hyperechoic). Animals that had reached puberty at 15 months of age presented higher testicular echogenicity than the animals that had not reached puberty at the same age. These results suggest that testicular ultrasonography can be used as a predictor of sexual precocity.

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