Pathological fracture of the ulna due to osteosarcoma in an Arabian camel (Camelus dromedarius)

Abstract

This short communication describes a case of pathological fracture secondary to osteosarcoma in an Arabian camel (Camelus dromedarius). A seven-year-old intact female Arabian camel was presented to the North Carolina State University's College of Veterinary Medicine Veterinary Teaching Hospital for evaluation of a left forelimb lameness of three days' duration. The camel was found at pasture with an acute, non-weight-bearing lameness on the left forelimb, which was swollen in the radiohumeral region. Treatment with butorphanol (0•06 mg/kg orally every 24 hours), diazepam (0•02 mg/kg orally every 24 hours), and a single oral dose of 1•1 mg/kg flunixin meglumine had been administered by the referring veterinarian. The camel had calved eight months previously, and had given birth to one other calf before that, but had no other significant medical history. Upon arrival, the camel was quiet and dull, with a normal rectal temperature (37•7°C, reference range 36•4 to 42°C), tachycardia (88 bpm, reference range 40 to 50 bpm) and tachypnoea (28 breaths/minute, reference range 5 to 12 breaths/minute). Auscultation of the heart and lungs revealed no audible abnormalities. The faeces were soft, and adequate borborygmi were audible in all four abdominal quadrants. The body condition score was 4/9. Severe lameness (grade 4/5) was apparent in the left forelimb, with moderate swelling around the left elbow. Radiographs of the left radiohumeral joint revealed a cranially displaced oblique articular fracture involving the proximal ulna. The fracture line extended from the trochlear notch to the caudal surface of the ulna distal to the olecranon. Slight radiolucencies were noted in the bone at the cranial edge of the fracture (Figs 1, 2). Cranial displacement of the distal radius and ulna had resulted in subluxation of the radiohumeral joint. A complete blood count revealed mild anaemia (packed-cell volume 21 per cent, reference range 24 to 42 per cent) and a regenerative neutrophilia (white blood cell count 19•8 x 10 3 cells/µl [reference range 2•9 x 10 3 to 9•7 x 10 3 cells/µl]; absolute numbers of bands 0•2 x 10 3 cells/µl [the presence of any bands is considered abnormal]). A serum chemistry panel revealed mildly elevated levels of globulin (46 g/l, reference range 28 to 44 g/l) and gamma glutyltransferase (39•0 iu/l, reference range 0 to 20 iu/l),

Pathologic Fracture in Dogs with Suspected or Confirmed Osteosarcoma

“…Dogs with appendicular osteosarcoma may present because of a progressive lameness or because of acute nonweight bearing lameness from a pathologic fracture. There is 1 report of canine osteosarcoma associated with a pathologic fracture and small number of case reports of pathologic fractures in dogs and 1 in an Arabian camel 3–8 . Pathologic fractures may result from aggressive bone lesions (infectious or neoplastic) and radiographic differential diagnoses include osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, fibrosarcoma, hemangiosarcoma, multiple myeloma or lymphoma, osteoporosis, and bacterial or fungal osteomyelitis 1,8 …”

Histopathological Investigations on Renal Lesions in Slaughtered Camel (Camelus dromedarius) in North East of Iran

“…This study was conducted with the objective of identifying the types of histopathological kidney lesions of slaughtered camels in north east of Iran. [7] , lymphocytic leukaemia [8] , renal cell carcinoma [9] and osteosarcoma [10] . According to the authors knowledge no reports on renal cell adenoma have been published and this paper described the pathological and immunohistochemical findings of this tumor.…”

Brain tumours in two Bactrian camels: a histiocytic sarcoma and a meningioma

“…In Bactrian camels, there are reports of a metastasising gastric adenocarcinoma (Kuhn and others 2003) and a vaginal leiomyoma (Hildebrandt and Goritz 1999). In the Arabian dromedary ( Camelus dromedarius ) there have been reports of an ovarian teratoma (Mesbah and others 2002), a bronchoalveolar adenocarcinoma (Gameel and others 1998), a lymphocytic leukaemia (Tageldin and others 1994), a renal cell carcinoma (Vitovec 1982) and, more recently, an osteosarcoma (Tuttle and others 2007). In New World camelids, various neoplasms of the skin and abdominal viscera have been described (Gahlot 2000), lymphosarcomas being the most frequently diagnosed (Hemsley and others 2002, Sartin and others 2004, Twomey and others 2008).…”