Clinical and epidemiological studies of bovine neoplasia

Grimshaw, William Thomson Ross (1983) Clinical and epidemiological studies of bovine neoplasia. PhD thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

Between 1968 and 1971 a number of cattle routinely admitted to the Department of Veterinary Medicine were found to be affected by upper alimentary squamous cell carcinoma which is generally considered to be a rare bovine neoplasm. In some of these animals neoplasia of the urinary bladder was also present. The simultaneous occurrence of these neoplasms in cattle whose farms of origin were found to have an unusually localised distribution prompted the clinical and epidemiological investigations presented in this thesis. In a survey of bovine neoplasia conducted over the period 1/9/71 - 31/8/79, upper alimentary squamous cell carcinoma, lymphosarcoma, transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder and intestinal adenocarcinoma accounted for over 80 percent of the 275 malignancies identified. Two or more malignancies were found in 19 animals and in each of these cases upper alimentary squamous cell carcinoma and,or malignant urinary bladder neoplasia and,or intestinal adenocarcinoma were present. In addition, three types of benign neoplasia; upper alimentary papillomas, benign urinary bladder neoplasms and adenomas or adenomatous hyperplasia of the intestine, were frequently encountered at post mortem examination of animals with alimentary and urinary bladder malignancies. Clinical examination of 55 animals with upper alimentary squamous cell carcinoma revealed four distinct clinical syndromes which could be correlated with the sites of carcinoma identified at neocropsy; (1) an oropharyngeal syndrome characterised by halitosis, dribbling of saliva, coughing, snoring and the presence of an oropharyngeal mass, (2) an oesophageal syndrome characterised by cud-dropping, the presence of a mass in the cervical oesophagus, halitosis and diarrhoea, (3) a ruminal tympany syndrome characterised by ruminal tympany and profuse diarrhoea and (4) a wasting and diarrhoea syndrome characterised by poor body condition and profuse diarrhoea. Clinical examination of 27 animals with urinary bladder neoplasms revealed a syndrome characterised by haematuria. Other major clinical signs included pallor of the mucosae, due to anaemia, and abnormalities of the urinary tract which could be detected per rectum. Clinical examination of 64 animals with lymphosarcoma revealed three distinct clinical forms of the disease which correlated with the pathological distribution of the neoplasm; (1) a multicentric form characterised by generalised lymph node enlargement in immatures and localised lymph node enlargement in adults, (2) a thymic form characterised by the presence of a cervical and, or anterior thoracic mass with the resultant clinical effects of obstruction of the thoracic inlet by this mass and (3) a skin form characterised by neoplastic infiltration of the skin and generalised lymph node enlargement. The epidemiological aspects of bovine neoplasia with particular reference to bracken fern are examined in the final chapter. The prevalences of most types of neoplasms were found to increase with age but in the case of lymphosarcoma the opposite applied. Examination of the breed distribution of cattle affected by neoplasia demonstrated that there was a highly significant association between upper alimentary squamous cell carcinoma, upper alimentary papillomas and urinary bladder neoplasia and beef breeds of cattle. The geographical distribution of these alimentary and urinary bladder neoplasms was found to be localised in specific areas of Scotland whereas other neoplasms had a pattern of distribution similar to that of all cattle admitted to the Department of Veterinary Medicine during the period of the study. In addition, it was demonstrated that there was a highly significant association between the occurrence of these neoplasms and the severity of infestation by bracken fern in the referral areas of affected animals. This association was investigated in detail by means of a case controlled study. Highly significant associations were found between upper alimentary squamous cell carcinoma, upper alimentary papillomas and urinary bladder neoplasia and the presence of bracken fern, the severity of bracken infestation and the occurrence of acute bracken poisoning on the referral farms of affected animals. (Abstract shortened by ProQuest.).

• Item Type: Thesis (PhD)
• Qualification Level: Doctoral
• Additional Information: Adviser: W IM McIntyre
• Keywords: Veterinary science, Animal diseases
• Date of Award: 1983
• Depositing User: Enlighten Team
• Unique ID: glathesis:1983-72390
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 24 May 2019 15:12
• Last Modified: 24 May 2019 15:12
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/72390