Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Goat with breathing trouble diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma
By Fry, Lindsay M et al.·Published in The Canadian veterinary journal = La revue veterinaire canadienne·2023·U.S. Department of Agriculture - Agricultural Research Service, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Biphasic pleural mesothelioma in a goat.
- Species:
- goat
Plain-English summary
An 8-year-old Saanen goat was brought in because she wasn't eating, had a fast heartbeat, and showed a bluish-grey color in her mouth. During the exam, the vet noticed she was also having trouble breathing and her heart was racing. Unfortunately, the decision was made to euthanize her, and a necropsy revealed a serious tumor in her chest called biphasic pleural mesothelioma. This type of cancer is rare in goats, but it can cause significant health issues and should be considered when diagnosing similar problems in small ruminants.
People also search for: goat not eating · goat heart problems · goat breathing issues · goat cancer symptoms · goat euthanasia decision
Abstract
An 8-year-old Saanen goat doe was seen for inappetence, tachycardia, and intermittent bluish-grey discoloration of the oral mucous membranes. On physical examination, the goat was mildly tachypneic and tachycardic, with reduced sounds auscultated on the left side of the thorax. Euthanasia was elected. Necropsy revealed an infiltrative, multinodular mass within the left thoracic cavity and innumerable small, tan nodules disseminated across the pleura of the lungs, thoracic walls, and diaphragm. Upon histologic examination, the mass was composed of highly pleomorphic, fusiform to polygonal cells. Neoplastic cells exhibited positive immunoreactivity for both cytokeratin and vimentin, consistent with a diagnosis of biphasic pleural mesothelioma. Key clinical message: Mesothelioma has rarely been described in the goat but should be considered as a differential diagnosis for thoracic masses in small ruminants, along with thymoma; metastatic neoplasia; carcinomatosis; and granulomatous lesions caused by parasites, bacteria, and fungi.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37663018/