Calf carcass with pale muscle discolouration
These changes involve skeletal muscle and are seen more clearly in the longissimus dorsi muscle (the steak) but also other muscles with multifocal distribution such as the chest, thigh, intercostal muscles, the diaphragm and the muscles of the abdominal wall.
Histologically degenerative chronic multifocal necrotizing myopathy with hyalinization of muscle fibers, loss of striation and mineralization was seen. It were precisely these calcium deposits which caused the whitish change.
These lesions are consistent with a nutritional myopathy, also known as white muscle disease which is associated with a deficiency of vitamin E and selenium.
In the following link you can see a similar case in swine : Muscle lesions in pig carcasses.
Pale colour areas of the musculature.
Colour changes especially affecting the longissimus dorsii muscle.
