Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Multicentric lymphoma in a donkey with intestinal and bone marrow involvement.
- Journal:
- BMC veterinary research
- Year:
- 2024
- Authors:
- Paraschou, Georgios et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Biomedical Sciences
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A female donkey, who was older and had a history of ongoing lameness, was found dead. After she passed away, a thorough examination showed that she was very thin and had dental disease, along with severe issues in her left front foot. There were also large, soft masses in her intestines, and her left thigh bone was much larger than normal, indicating possible cancer spreading into the bone marrow. Tests confirmed that she had a type of cancer called multicentric T-cell lymphoma, which affected both her intestines and bone. This case is significant because it’s the first time this type of lymphoma has been identified in donkeys, highlighting the need for more research on this rare condition in these animals.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Lymphoma is a common neoplasm in horses but is reported much less commonly in donkeys. In this case report, we describe the macroscopic, microscopic and immunohistochemical features of a multicentric lymphoma with intestinal and bone marrow involvement. CASE PRESENTATION: A geriatric female donkey with history of chronic lameness was found dead. Post-mortem examination revealed advanced emaciation, periodontal disease, left front foot laminitis and multiple, soft, white to yellow tan intestinal transmural masses, up to 12 cm in diameter. Cytology suggested a round cell intestinal neoplasm. The femur of the left hint limb was double the size of the normal contralateral, with suspected neoplastic infiltration and replacement of bone marrow and bone. Histologically we diagnosed a lymphoma in the intestine and left femur. Immunohistochemically, the neoplastic cells showed CD3 immunolabelling, supporting a diagnosis of a multicentric T-cell lymphoma. CONCLUSIONS: To the authors' knowledge, this is the first time multicentric lymphoma is diagnosed in donkeys. Further studies of the genetic background, clinical, laboratory, histopathologic, and immunohistochemical, as well as the pathogenesis of lymphoma, is needed to better understand the uniquely low frequency of this neoplasm in donkeys.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38360691/