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Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Perineum of the Goat
Br. vet. J. (1975), 113,347
SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA OF THE PERINEUM OF THE GOAT By R. O.
RAMADAN*
Department of Clinical Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Khartoum North, P.O. Box 32, Sudan
SUMMARY
Squamous cell carcinomas are described in the perineum of four goats, presumably non-Angoras, and a detailed report of one of the cases is given with clinical, surgical and pathological descriptions.
INTRODUCTION
Among the very few published reports of neoplasms in the goat, perhaps the most remarkable is that by Thomas (1929) of cases of variably pigmented carcinoma (squamous cell, basal cell and mixed types) in Angora goats in South Africa. The carcinomas were mostly found to affect the perineum of the female, but they also occurred to a much less extent on the ears, base of horns and other areas of the epidermis. Curasson (1933) saw similar tumours in Angora goats imported into the Sudan from South Africa. In one herd of 42 animals, six cases were seen in one year. Damodaran & Parthasarthy (1972) reported on cases of squamous cell carcinoma of the anus and the udder of two (breed not described) goats in India. This paper describes four cases of squamous cell carcinoma in the perineum of goats. The animals, which were of uncertain breed, were brought to the Department of Clinical Studies for examination. They came from Khartoum and from Shambat village and belonged to different owners.
REPORTED CASES
Case I A 3-year-old female goat (predominantly grey, with brown patches) had a perineal growth of 14 months duration. Examination revealed a pear-shaped mass of tissue measuring approximately 2 cm XI' 5 cm in the right perineal region. The surface of the growth showed
* Present address: The Beaumont Animals' Hospital, The Royal Veterinary College, Royal College Street, London NWI oTU.
BRITISH VETERINARY JOURNAL, 13 1, 3
circumscribed nodules with deep infected crevices separating them. Inflammatory exudate rapidly led to the formation of hard scab which, when lifted, revealed a soft, finely villous, pink, highly vascular tissue, flecked with pus. Pressure on any part of the lesion caused a small amount of inflammatory exudate to exude though cracks in the scab and from the depth of the crevices. The lesion involved the whole perineum, displacing the anus and vulva to the left and dorsally. Towards the left ventral part, the growth tensed the vulva to expose the inner mucosa of the vestibulum vaginae. On the legs, the discharge matted the coat from the hock joint distally. The right sciatic lymph node was larger than the left. Other superficial lymph nodes appeared normal. Surgery and follow-up. The mass was removed under epidural analgesia, using r'o ml of 2'5 per cent tutocain solution (Bayer) injected through the lumbosacral space. The animal was discharged after 25 days. The neoplasm recurred after a further 2 months. The goat lost condition and died 264 days after operation. Pathology. The carcass was emaciated. The tumour had invaded the pelvic cavity and was adherant to the outer layer of the rectum. The rectal mucosa and the internal organs were apparently free. The right sciatic lymph node (2·8 X 2'0 X r'2 cm) contained a gelatinous material which, when evacuated, left an empty cavity. The left sciatic lymph node (2'0 X r'o X 0'7 cm) was macroscopically uninvolved. Histological sections of the primary tumour showed a well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma forming keratin pearls and in some areas showing intercellular bridges. In some areas there was a pseudoglandular pattern simulating an adinocarcinoma. The tumour was invading the marginal sinus of the right sciatic lymph node. Tumour emboli were lodged inside the lumen of a vein (from the locally metastasizing neoplasm on the right side) and were also invading the outer layer of the muscle of the rectum.
Case
2
An aged goat had a perineal growth of unknown duration. Examination revealed a pinkish, uneven, ulcerated triangular mass, measuring approximately 4'0 X 3'0 cm, on the left side of the perineum. The supramammary lymph nodes were enlarged, and ulcerated spontaneously after a week, discharging a whitish gelatinous material. The animal died a few days later. Pathology. Macroscopically, the liver and kidneys showed fatty changes. The tumour was firm and had a raw bleeding surface. The sciatic lymph nodes were slightly enlarged and greyish. Histological sections of the tumour showed well differentiated squamous cell carcinoma, which had also invaded and replaced the supramammary lymph nodes.
Case 3 A biopsy specimen obtained from a perineal tumour of a grey goat. The growth (3.6 cm in diameter) was pink and highly vascular. Histological sections showed a well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma.
SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA IN GOATS
349
Case 4 A 5-year-old grey goat had two, pink-coloured tumour masses, one 0·8 em in diameter on the right lateral part of the anus, and the other 0·5 em in diameter, on the mid-ventral aspect of the tail. The masses were removed surgically and the animal was discharged. Histological sections showed a well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma. DISCUSSION
In 1929, Thomas published comprehensive details of his findings in nineteen cases of skin cancer of Angora goats. He mentioned that the first indication of the presence of a perineal tumour was soiling and matting of the hair around the perineum with a slimy exudate and dirt. Tumours in other parts were also generally first detected when they became ulcerated and started to yield foul exudate and become fly-blown. Their diameter varied from that of a pea to 10 cm. They were either rounded or lobulated, or were flattened like a large raised ulcer. These tumours were mainly seen on the perineum, ear, horn stump, or udder. Histologically, the tumours were either spinous cell carcinoma (squamous cell carcinoma), basal cell carcinoma, or mixed. The basal-cell and mixed variety contained melanin. Metastasis was reported in 21·05 per cent of the cases. In the four cases we have described, the histological sections showed welldifferentiated squamous cell carcinoma, with well-marked keratin formation. In two animals the tumour had metastasized to lymph nodes and one also showed local invasion of a blood vessel. It is interesting to note that the tumours reported here occurred in animals of predominantly grey or white coat colours, and the writer has not seen similar lesions in goats with homogeneously black or brown coat. The skin of the perineum of grey or white goats is a lighter grey colour than that of animals with a black or brown coat. This raises the question of the possible aetiological role of ultra-violet light (cf. the cases of vulval carcinoma in cattle reported by Burdin (1964) in Kenya which he thought were probably due to ultra-violet light) . None of our animals was typical of the Angora goats as described by Devendra & Burns (1970), although one cannot rule out the possibility that one or more of them might have Angora blood. One goat was a nondescript animal. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I am indebted to Professor A. M. El Hassan of the Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, the University of Khartoum, for the histological findings, and Professor E. Cotchin, Department of Pathology, The Royal Veterinary College, for advising on the preparation of this paper. From the University of Khartoum I would like to thank Dr M. A. R . Osman, who assisted in collecting some material, Dr S. E. Imbabi for his interest and the Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Science for the use of their facilities. I wish to thank Mr Fattah Alla, the Photography section, Faculty of Agriculture, the
BRITISH VETERINARY JOURNAL, 13 1, 3
University of Khartoum and Mr F. A. Shephard, Department of Pathology, the Royal Veterinary College for the photography (not shown-Ed.). REFERENCES
BURDIN, M. L. (1964). Res. Vet. Sci. 5,497. CURASSON, M. G. (1933). Bull. Acad. Vet. Fr. 6, 346. DAMODARAN, S. & PARTHASARTHY, K. R. (1972). Ind. Vet. J. 49,649. DEVENDRA, C. & BURNS, M. (1970). "Goat Production in the Tropics". Technical Communication No. 19 of the Commonwealth Bureau of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Edinburgh. Commonwealth Agricultural Bureau, Farnham Royal, Bucks., England. THOMAS, A. D. (1929). Ondersteport J. 2, 661.
(Accepted/or publication 26 November 1974)
Epithelioma de cellules squaDleuses dans Ie perinee de la chevre (Ramadan) ResUDle. On decrit des epitheliomas de cellules squameuses dans les perinees d e quatre chevres, probablement non-Angora, et on donne un rapport detaille de l'un des cas avec des descriptions cliniques, chirurgicales et pathologiques. PlattenepithelkarzinoDl aDl PerineUDl von Ziegen (Ramadan) ZusaDlDlenfassung. Beschreibung von Plattenepithelkarzinomen am Damm von vier Ziegen, vermutlich nicht Angoraziegen, und eingehender Bericht tiber einen dieser Faile mit klinischen, chirurgischen und pathologischen Einzelheiten. CarcinODla de celulas escaDlosas de' perineo de la cabra (Ramadan) ResUDlen. Se describen carcinomas de celulas escamosas en el perineo de cuatro cabras, probablemente no de Angora, y se presenta un informe detallado sobre uno de los casos con descripciones clinicas, quirurjicas y patologicas.
SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA OF THE PERINEUM OF THE GOAT By R. O.
RAMADAN*
Department of Clinical Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Khartoum North, P.O. Box 32, Sudan
SUMMARY
Squamous cell carcinomas are described in the perineum of four goats, presumably non-Angoras, and a detailed report of one of the cases is given with clinical, surgical and pathological descriptions.
INTRODUCTION
Among the very few published reports of neoplasms in the goat, perhaps the most remarkable is that by Thomas (1929) of cases of variably pigmented carcinoma (squamous cell, basal cell and mixed types) in Angora goats in South Africa. The carcinomas were mostly found to affect the perineum of the female, but they also occurred to a much less extent on the ears, base of horns and other areas of the epidermis. Curasson (1933) saw similar tumours in Angora goats imported into the Sudan from South Africa. In one herd of 42 animals, six cases were seen in one year. Damodaran & Parthasarthy (1972) reported on cases of squamous cell carcinoma of the anus and the udder of two (breed not described) goats in India. This paper describes four cases of squamous cell carcinoma in the perineum of goats. The animals, which were of uncertain breed, were brought to the Department of Clinical Studies for examination. They came from Khartoum and from Shambat village and belonged to different owners.
REPORTED CASES
Case I A 3-year-old female goat (predominantly grey, with brown patches) had a perineal growth of 14 months duration. Examination revealed a pear-shaped mass of tissue measuring approximately 2 cm XI' 5 cm in the right perineal region. The surface of the growth showed
* Present address: The Beaumont Animals' Hospital, The Royal Veterinary College, Royal College Street, London NWI oTU.
BRITISH VETERINARY JOURNAL, 13 1, 3
circumscribed nodules with deep infected crevices separating them. Inflammatory exudate rapidly led to the formation of hard scab which, when lifted, revealed a soft, finely villous, pink, highly vascular tissue, flecked with pus. Pressure on any part of the lesion caused a small amount of inflammatory exudate to exude though cracks in the scab and from the depth of the crevices. The lesion involved the whole perineum, displacing the anus and vulva to the left and dorsally. Towards the left ventral part, the growth tensed the vulva to expose the inner mucosa of the vestibulum vaginae. On the legs, the discharge matted the coat from the hock joint distally. The right sciatic lymph node was larger than the left. Other superficial lymph nodes appeared normal. Surgery and follow-up. The mass was removed under epidural analgesia, using r'o ml of 2'5 per cent tutocain solution (Bayer) injected through the lumbosacral space. The animal was discharged after 25 days. The neoplasm recurred after a further 2 months. The goat lost condition and died 264 days after operation. Pathology. The carcass was emaciated. The tumour had invaded the pelvic cavity and was adherant to the outer layer of the rectum. The rectal mucosa and the internal organs were apparently free. The right sciatic lymph node (2·8 X 2'0 X r'2 cm) contained a gelatinous material which, when evacuated, left an empty cavity. The left sciatic lymph node (2'0 X r'o X 0'7 cm) was macroscopically uninvolved. Histological sections of the primary tumour showed a well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma forming keratin pearls and in some areas showing intercellular bridges. In some areas there was a pseudoglandular pattern simulating an adinocarcinoma. The tumour was invading the marginal sinus of the right sciatic lymph node. Tumour emboli were lodged inside the lumen of a vein (from the locally metastasizing neoplasm on the right side) and were also invading the outer layer of the muscle of the rectum.
Case
2
An aged goat had a perineal growth of unknown duration. Examination revealed a pinkish, uneven, ulcerated triangular mass, measuring approximately 4'0 X 3'0 cm, on the left side of the perineum. The supramammary lymph nodes were enlarged, and ulcerated spontaneously after a week, discharging a whitish gelatinous material. The animal died a few days later. Pathology. Macroscopically, the liver and kidneys showed fatty changes. The tumour was firm and had a raw bleeding surface. The sciatic lymph nodes were slightly enlarged and greyish. Histological sections of the tumour showed well differentiated squamous cell carcinoma, which had also invaded and replaced the supramammary lymph nodes.
Case 3 A biopsy specimen obtained from a perineal tumour of a grey goat. The growth (3.6 cm in diameter) was pink and highly vascular. Histological sections showed a well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma.
SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA IN GOATS
349
Case 4 A 5-year-old grey goat had two, pink-coloured tumour masses, one 0·8 em in diameter on the right lateral part of the anus, and the other 0·5 em in diameter, on the mid-ventral aspect of the tail. The masses were removed surgically and the animal was discharged. Histological sections showed a well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma. DISCUSSION
In 1929, Thomas published comprehensive details of his findings in nineteen cases of skin cancer of Angora goats. He mentioned that the first indication of the presence of a perineal tumour was soiling and matting of the hair around the perineum with a slimy exudate and dirt. Tumours in other parts were also generally first detected when they became ulcerated and started to yield foul exudate and become fly-blown. Their diameter varied from that of a pea to 10 cm. They were either rounded or lobulated, or were flattened like a large raised ulcer. These tumours were mainly seen on the perineum, ear, horn stump, or udder. Histologically, the tumours were either spinous cell carcinoma (squamous cell carcinoma), basal cell carcinoma, or mixed. The basal-cell and mixed variety contained melanin. Metastasis was reported in 21·05 per cent of the cases. In the four cases we have described, the histological sections showed welldifferentiated squamous cell carcinoma, with well-marked keratin formation. In two animals the tumour had metastasized to lymph nodes and one also showed local invasion of a blood vessel. It is interesting to note that the tumours reported here occurred in animals of predominantly grey or white coat colours, and the writer has not seen similar lesions in goats with homogeneously black or brown coat. The skin of the perineum of grey or white goats is a lighter grey colour than that of animals with a black or brown coat. This raises the question of the possible aetiological role of ultra-violet light (cf. the cases of vulval carcinoma in cattle reported by Burdin (1964) in Kenya which he thought were probably due to ultra-violet light) . None of our animals was typical of the Angora goats as described by Devendra & Burns (1970), although one cannot rule out the possibility that one or more of them might have Angora blood. One goat was a nondescript animal. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I am indebted to Professor A. M. El Hassan of the Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, the University of Khartoum, for the histological findings, and Professor E. Cotchin, Department of Pathology, The Royal Veterinary College, for advising on the preparation of this paper. From the University of Khartoum I would like to thank Dr M. A. R . Osman, who assisted in collecting some material, Dr S. E. Imbabi for his interest and the Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Science for the use of their facilities. I wish to thank Mr Fattah Alla, the Photography section, Faculty of Agriculture, the
BRITISH VETERINARY JOURNAL, 13 1, 3
University of Khartoum and Mr F. A. Shephard, Department of Pathology, the Royal Veterinary College for the photography (not shown-Ed.). REFERENCES
BURDIN, M. L. (1964). Res. Vet. Sci. 5,497. CURASSON, M. G. (1933). Bull. Acad. Vet. Fr. 6, 346. DAMODARAN, S. & PARTHASARTHY, K. R. (1972). Ind. Vet. J. 49,649. DEVENDRA, C. & BURNS, M. (1970). "Goat Production in the Tropics". Technical Communication No. 19 of the Commonwealth Bureau of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Edinburgh. Commonwealth Agricultural Bureau, Farnham Royal, Bucks., England. THOMAS, A. D. (1929). Ondersteport J. 2, 661.
(Accepted/or publication 26 November 1974)
Epithelioma de cellules squaDleuses dans Ie perinee de la chevre (Ramadan) ResUDle. On decrit des epitheliomas de cellules squameuses dans les perinees d e quatre chevres, probablement non-Angora, et on donne un rapport detaille de l'un des cas avec des descriptions cliniques, chirurgicales et pathologiques. PlattenepithelkarzinoDl aDl PerineUDl von Ziegen (Ramadan) ZusaDlDlenfassung. Beschreibung von Plattenepithelkarzinomen am Damm von vier Ziegen, vermutlich nicht Angoraziegen, und eingehender Bericht tiber einen dieser Faile mit klinischen, chirurgischen und pathologischen Einzelheiten. CarcinODla de celulas escaDlosas de' perineo de la cabra (Ramadan) ResUDlen. Se describen carcinomas de celulas escamosas en el perineo de cuatro cabras, probablemente no de Angora, y se presenta un informe detallado sobre uno de los casos con descripciones clinicas, quirurjicas y patologicas.