A divergent anatomic distribution of bovine lymphoma: time for an update.

Abstract

Bovine leukemia virus-associated lymphoma (BLV-AL) is a significant neoplastic disease in cattle globally, resulting in substantial economic losses. Here we describe the anatomic distribution of lymphoma in adult cattle in 3 veterinary diagnostic laboratories (VDLs). Between 2001 and 2024, we retrieved 5,290 reports of bovine autopsies performed by these VDLs and 2,200 autopsies submitted by field veterinarians for diagnosis. We selected 165 bovine lymphoma cases, of which 122 (73.9%) originated from VDL autopsies and 43 (26.1%) from autopsies performed by field veterinarians. The most affected organs were lymph nodes (70.3%), followed by the heart (62.4%), abomasum (51.5%), kidney (32.7%), intestinal wall (26.1%), and forestomach wall (19.4%). Among adult cattle lymphoma cases diagnosed at these VDLs, lymphoma was observed more frequently in kidney and intestinal wall than in uterus or spinal cord epidural space.