Mammary Gland Neoplasia in the Cow - Veterinary Pathology

510 POVEY/OSBORNE
Very rarely granulomatous lesions occur in bovine mammary glands as a
result of bacterial infection but such a cause has been ruled out in the case reported
here.
Central necrosis and liquefaction is not unusual in rapidly growing tumours
and may be associated with tumour-cell invasion and thrombosis of blood vessels.
In the case described there was evidence that this had occurred, and the massive haemrhage
suggests that the necrotic process had extended to a major blood vessel
which was still patent. HOFMEYR~~ reported similar central necrosis and haemorrhage
in his case of mammary sarcoma.
We feel that the lesion described in our case is definitely neoplastic. The
classification of the sarcoma is open to dispute, but the balance of the evidence is
in favour of a mesenchymal tumour showing fibrosarcomatous differentiation.
An interesting feature of the clinical pathological findings was the approximate
150% increase in SGOT activity. This enzyme is often used as an indicator
of hepatic function, a raised level indicating damage to parenchymal cells with
release of transaminase into the circulation. Such circumstances may have been
expected to occur in hepatic fascioliasis, but VALCARENGHI and MOLINAR143
showed there was no significant elevation of SGOT in this condition since necrosis
was not a common finding. However, all major tissues contain a high concentration
of GOTJ; therefore it would seem likely that the raised serum level of
this case was a result of the massive necrosis at the centre of the neoplasm.
A brief review is made of previous reports of neoplasms of the bovine mammary
gland. A fibrosarcoma of the udder of a 4-year-old Ayrshire cow is described.
The tumour was well circumscribed, had a number of multinucleate giant cells and
mitoses, and invaded venules but had no metastasis. The serum glutamic oxalacetic
transaminase activity was elevated.
Eine kurze Ubersicht friiherer Berichte uber Tumoren der bovinen Brustdruse
wird gegeben. Ein Fibrosarkom des Euters bei einer 4jahrigen Ayrshire
Kuh wird beschrieben. Der Tumor war deutlich umschrieben, wies eine Anzahl
mehrkerniger Riesenzellen und Mitosen auf und war in kleine venose Gefasse eingedrungen,
zcigte aber keine Metastasen. Die Serum Glutamin-Oxalessigsaure-
Transaniinase Aktivitat war erhoht.
Acknowledgements
We thank 1%. P. J.N. PINSENT for the clinical history of this case. We are
extremely indebted to Professor E. COTCHIN of the Royal Veterinary College,
London for the time and trouble he has taken in advising us. We have also been
grateful for the help of Dr. W. MISDORP, Antoni van Leeuwenhock-Huis, Amsterdam,
and Dr. LINDSAY ANDERSON of the University of Glasgow.
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