Papillary Adenocarcinoma of the Extrahepatic Bile Duct in a Holstein Cow

Abstract

Abstract.A 15-year-old female Holstein cow was presented with a history of anorexia and weight loss. Abnormal physical examination findings included poor body condition, dehydration, icterus, and photodermatitis on nonpigmented areas of the skin of the dorsum. At necropsy, the common bile duct was greatly enlarged, with thickened walls, and tightly adhered to the hepatic capsular surface and serosa of adjacent loops of the small intestine. Two sessile, yellowish, friable, well-circumscribed, cauliflower-like, bulging masses (14 and 8 cm in diameter) were attached to the inner surface of the common bile duct blocking its lumen. Microscopically, the tumor was composed of well-differentiated, columnar epithelial cells with oval or round, vesicular, basal nuclei arranged in papillary projections. Periodic acid-Schiff-positive material accumulated in the apical cytoplasm of the neoplastic cells. Immunostaining of the tumor cells was positive for cytokeratin (CK) of widespectrum screening and for CK 7. The diagnosis of papillary adenocarcinoma of the extrahepatic bile duct was based on the morphologic features of the neoplasm and evidence of local invasion. To the best of our knowledge, extrahepatic bile duct carcinomas have not been described in cattle.

Metastatic gallbladder adenocarcinoma in a cat

“…The lesions found at macroscopic examination corroborate the findings in other reports, with thickening and dilatation of the gallbladder with gelatinous bile content and formation of nodules, leading to obstruction of the bile ducts (10,22). The lesions in other species may show a cauliflower-like appearance, necrotic, and sometimes present rupture (16,21,25), which were not observed in this case.…”

“…The gallbladder adenocarcinoma of the present case showed a ductal and papillary pattern (10, 25) compared to other cases in which the cell arrangement may be acinar (8,16,22). Furthermore, it can be supported by discrete fibrovascular stroma and there may be areas of desmoplasia marked by abundant fibrous tissue due to the cirrhotic response caused in the liver.…”

“…Neoplastic epithelial cells commonly present a polygonal to columnar shape with moderate pleomorphism, in addition to a low mitosis count despite the malignant character of the neoplasm and the high invasive potential to the liver parenchyma. Mucin production by the biliary epithelium in varying amounts is also observed (8,16,22).…”

“…In cats, neoplasms originating in bile duct cells occur more frequently than those originating in hepatocytes, and extrahepatic bile duct obstruction is a differential for gallbladder adenocarcinoma, especially in cases in which there has been no response to clinical treatment (2,10). There are reports of several animal species affected by adenomas and carcinomas of the biliary tract, such as cats (5,10,19,22), dogs (2,14,21), cattle (13,16), bears (20), and African lions (25).…”