Student Case Presentation
Oral fibropapilloma and weight-loss in a 4 year old Angus bull
| Date/Time: |
9/12/2024 3:15 pm
|
| Presenter: |
Kadden Kothmann |
| Veterinary School: |
TAM |
Abstract:
A 4-year-old Angus bull presented to field services for a 5-month history of weight loss without diarrhea. Before being referred in mid-October, the weight loss was noted in May and the bull was dewormed in the interim. Owners report the bull being fed a highly digestible feed but despite a ravenous appetite, the bull was dropping a lot of feed, which was building up in the water trough. On physical exam, the bull had poor body condition (2/9), hemoptyalism, and a 6cm x 8cm oral mass on the left hard palate on oral speculum exam. Hematology and biochemistry revealed hypoalbuminemia, hyperglobulinemia, and hypomagnesemia. Fecal parasites and Johne’s disease testing were both negative. Fine needle aspirate cytology of the mass revealed neutrophilic inflammation with bacterial contamination. Recheck evaluation was recommended, and no treatments were administered. Follow-up oral speculum assessment revealed enlargement of the mass. Due to the tenuous success of a complete resection, strong likelihood of post-operative complications, and the value of the animal, euthanasia with postmortem examination were elected. Cross-sectioning the head, the mass appeared to infiltrate the caudal left maxilla and left ramus. Further necropsy discovered multiple papillary exophytic masses arising from the rumen mucosa with similar gross cut-section appearance to the oropharyngeal mass. Histopathology results of all masses were consistent with fibropapillomas. The invasiveness of the oropharyngeal mass and cellular atypia of the large ruminal fibropapillomas were suggestive of malignant transformation. While alimentary fibropapillomas are associated with bovine papilloma virus 2 (BPV2), oral squamous papillomas are more common with BPV4. To the author’s knowledge, malignant transformation of fibropapillomas is rare in the bovid and is reported to occur with bracken fern ingestion.
