Background: Primary lung tumors in cats are mainly classified into adenocarcinoma arising from peripheral pulmonary epithelium and, in a smaller number of cases, into adenosquamous or squamous carcinoma, bronchioloalveolar carcinoma, and carcinoid tumor. There are few reports in the international literature describing lung cancer metastasis to visceral organs in cats, especially with regard to squamous tumors. This report describes the clinical pathological, histological, and immunohistochemical findings of lung squamous cell carcinoma with metastasis to small intestine in a cat. Case: A female, Siamese, unneutered, adult cat presented with an unhealed ulcerative crusted lesion on the left ear, previously diagnosed as squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Six months later, the cat returned presenting with increased volume in the left pelvic limb and claudication due to severe osteolysis in metatarsal and tarsal bones, as shown in radiographic examinations. The limb was amputated forty day later, but it did not undergo histological examination. The cat died fourteen days after amputation and underwent necropsy. Macroscopically, significant changes were observed in the small intestine, including serous segmental necrotizing and hemorrhagic lesion with luminal stenosis and corrugation of mucous surface, which was covered with a fibrinopurulent pseudomembrane. Palpation of lung parenchyma showed small firm nodules. There was an ulcerative crusted lesion on the left ear. Histopatological examination revealed infiltration of pleomorphic neoplastic epithelial cells disrupting the architecture of small intestine and lung, with pronounced anisocyitosis and anisokaryosis. The neoplastic cells had indistinct borders; their cytoplasm was eosinophilic and pleomorphic and varied from moderate to abundant in amount; and their nuclei were markedly pleomorphic and large, with up to two evident nucleoli and salt-and-paper chromatin. Additionally, numerous keratin pearls and remarkable squamous differentiation were observed. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed with the streptavidin-biotin-peroxidase method using anti-pan-cytokeratin and antivimentin antibodies. Neoplastic cells exhibited strong and uniform cytoplasmatic immunoreactivity for pan-cyitokeratin. Vimentin expression was absent in neoplastic cells but present in the connective tissue associated with the neoplasm. Discussion: Although there are some studies on primary lung squamous cell carcinoma, to the authors' knowledge, this is the second report describing the metastasis of this tumor to small intestine in a cat. The diagnosis of lung SCC in a cat with metastasis to small intestine was confirmed by histopathological assessment and IHC. Although the amputated limb had not undergone histopathological examination, osteolytic lesions in metatarsal and tarsal bones suggested metastasis from primary lung tumors. The lack of involvement of head lymph nodes shows that cutaneous SCC was not related to lung tumors, because metastasis of this carcinoma always involves regional lym...
Thyroid dysfunction substantially affects the quality of life due to its association with various disorders in different organs. A low intake of selenium and zinc can predispose to thyroid alterations, resulting in hypothyroidism. A deficiency of selenium and zinc causes direct and indirect skin lesions, both by the action of free radicals on the skin and by thyroid dysfunction. The aim of this study was to describe natural cases of diffuse alopecia and thyroid abnormalities in sheep with selenium and zinc deficiency. Five adult sheep presented marked and diffuse alopecia, and the residual hairs were dry and brittle. The skin was thick and crusty, with marked peeling. The triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) serum concentrations were below reference values for the species. Zinc and Se concentrations were low in both the serum and liver. During necropsy, cachexia associated with serous fat atrophy was observed, and the thyroid glands showed marked atrophy. Microscopically, the thyroid presented multifocal to coalescent atrophy, with atrophied and dilated follicles, macrophage infiltration, and the presence of fibrous connective tissue. The skin revealed hyperkeratosis and edema. It is concluded that thyroid atrophy, alopecia, and hyperkeratosis are associated with low serum and liver concentrations of zinc and selenium in sheep.
Background: Pulmonary hypoplasia is characterized by incomplete development of the lungs, owing to congenital defectsor the action of toxic substances. Moreover, it has rarely been described in pigs. Ascites or hydroperitoneum is characterized by the presence of fluid inside the abdominal cavity and does not generally cause changes in the abdominal organs. However, hydrothorax, characterized by the presence of fluid within the thoracic cavity, is responsible for the compression of thoracic organs and consequent heart and respiratory failure. This study aims to describe a case of congenital pulmonary hypoplasia associated with ascites and hydrothorax in a newborn pig.Case: A male neonate Landrace pig that died shortly after delivery was presented for necropsy with increased abdominal volume and bilateral extension of the pelvic limbs. The pig belonged to a litter of 13 piglets, four of which died shortly after birth. The rest of the piglets were poorly developed, but only one was presented for necropsy. Significant external changes, along with permanent distension, interpreted as arthrogriposis, were observed in the pelvic limbs. The skin of the ventral abdominal region was thin, with evidence of all blood vessels, interpreted as telangectasis. An internal examination revealed the presence of a slightly yellowish liquid in the thoracic and abdominal cavities, interpreted as hydrothorax and ascites, respectively. The lungs were reduced in size, indicating pulmonary hypoplasia. The liver had rounded edges, which were dark red and firm, with an irregular surface. Significant microscopic findings were observed in the lungs, which were divided by fibrous connective tissue and showed evidence of small and atrophied alveoli. Furthermore, connective tissue was observed around the peribronchiolar regions and underdeveloped cartilage around the airways. The liver showed dilation of the centrilobular veins. Moreover, the sinusoids were filled with erythrocytes, indicating congestion.Discussion: Pulmonary hypoplasia is a rare birth defect in pigs and can be accompanied by malformations of other organs, including anasarca. Pulmonary hypoplasia is caused by conditions that compress the lungs, such as congenital diaphragmatic hernia, intrathoracic masses, and pleural effusion or malformations in the chest cavity. However, none of these conditions were observed in the current case. Instead, the histopathological changes observed in the lungs were characteristic of pulmonary hypoplasia. A microscopic examination revealed that the hypoplastic lungs showed a reduced number of alveoli, replacement of the peribronchiolar smooth muscle by the connective tissue, and underdeveloped cartilage around the airways, all of which are characteristic of pulmonary hypoplasia. Vascular telangiectasia is characterized by abdominal distention due to a marked ascitic condition. Invariably, ascitic fluid accumulation results from changes in hydrodynamic parameters. The hydrothorax observed in this animal was suggestive of changes in the hydrodynamic parameters, which consequently led to fluid accumulation in the chest cavity. This has been previously described in a newborn pig infected with Clostridium difficile. The permanently and bilaterally extended pelvic joints observed at birth in this animal were interpreted as arthrogriposis. This change is attributed to various factors, such as fetal paralysis in pigs that ingest toxic substances like alkaloids present in Conium maculatum and in the stalks of Nicotiana tabacum and Datura stramunium. The literature describes pelvic limb paralysis in Landrace pigs as a genetically inherited disorder. However, it was not possible for us to establish the cause of arthrogriposis for certain in this pig.
Background: Sweat gland carcinomas divide into eccrine, apocrine, mixed origin (eccrine and apocrine). Eccrine carcinoma (EC) is a rare malignant neoplasm of the sweat glands that can affect dogs, cats, and humans. EC can present itself as a solitary swelling in the pads, digits, or distal limbs. EC is more common in elder animals, and exhibits no predisposition according to breed. In humans, EC is more frequent in the head and neck, and is more likely to occur in mid-aged people; metastases can develop in any site of the body. A diagnosis of this type of tumor can be determined by histopathological examination. Apocrine carcinomas occur most frequently in the axillary areas even though they may occur in other regions of the body, and affect mainly elder animals.Case: A 13-year-old male mongrel dog with a history of presence of smooth reddish infiltrative nodule in the skin of the thorax, but with no history of progression, was examined. After running complementary tests, a fragment of the skin on the thorax was taken for biopsy. The second animal was an 8-year-old female Golden Retriever, which was presented with a history of presence of a nodule on the right digital pad. After running complementary tests, a fragment of this nodule was collected. In both cases, the excised fragments were placed in 10% buffered formalin and routinely processed for the preparation of histological slides, which were stained with hematoxylin and eosin, and subjected to histopathological evaluation. Light microscopy analysis revealed, in both cases, the presence of a poorly delimited, non-encapsulated mass infiltrating the muscle and adipose tissue. Necrotic areas, and presence of eosinophilic material in the nucleus were observed. Additionally, the samples from both cases were subjected to immunohistochemical staining for cytokeratin (CK Pan).Discussion: A definitive diagnosis of sweat gland carcinoma was achieved by means of the histopathological analysis. Sweat gland neoplasms are uncommon and difficult to diagnose; distinguishing eccrine carcinoma from apocrine carcinoma requires knowledge on the site of origin of the tumor. Some authors assert that, in spite the growing number of reports on tumors of cutaneous glands in dogs, there are only few immunohistochemical studies on cutaneous gland neoplasms in these animals. There is no specific immunohistochemical marker to distinguish eccrine carcinoma from apocrine carcinoma. Consequently, investigation on the anatomical origin of the tumor is important. In the cases describe herein, involvement of the thorax (apocrine) and digital pad (eccrine) are reported. However, there are accounts of the occurrence of sweat gland tumors in axillary and inguinal regions, as well as in the limbs. Both biopsy samples tested positive for cytokeratin (CK) after immunohistochemical examination. This marker is specific for simple epithelium and, according to some authors, can distinguish an eccrine carcinoma from basal cell carcinoma. The antibody used did not stain the innermost are of the tumor, where cells may be negative for CK. Some tumors may not have specific markers, which makes a combination of clinical data and complementary histopathological and immunohistochemical exams necessary for the determination of a diagnosis, as is the case for eccrine and apocrine carcinomas. In view of the scarcity of reports on eccrine carcinoma in the literature, and considering the small number of immunohistochemical studies on cutaneous gland tumors in dogs and cats, this work can help the determination of the diagnosis of cutaneous neoplasms, which are frequently observed in the clinical routine.
Congenital hepatic fibrosis (CHF) is an autosomal recessive malformation characterized by a variable degree of fibrosis and bile duct proliferation, mainly described in people and rarely reported in bovine European breeds. In addition to liver fibrosis, this syndrome has been associated with ascites and subcutaneous edema in calves. This paper described the pathological findings of the first report of CHF in a Nelore bovine fetus. A stillborn calf was removed by cesarean section because of dystocia. At necropsy, characteristic changes of CHF were observed, such as a large increase in abdominal volume associated with hepatic fibrosis and marked subcutaneous edema. Histological examination of liver revealed periportal and port-portal islands of fibrosis separating the parenchyma into nodules of variable sizes and containing numerous abnormally shaped bile ducts. The CHF should be considered in the differential diagnosis in young calves that present with ascites.
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