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Peer-reviewed veterinary case report

Thyroid tumor in a 13-year-old horse - what to know

By Kuwamura, M et al.·Published in The Journal of veterinary medical science·1998·Department of Veterinary Pathology, Japan·View original on PubMed

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Original publication title: C-cell adenoma containing variously sized thyroid follicles in a horse.

Species:
horse

Plain-English summary

A 13-year-old male Andalusian horse was found to have a tumor in its thyroid gland, which is responsible for producing hormones that regulate metabolism. This tumor was made up of abnormal cells called C-cells (which help control calcium levels) and had variously sized structures filled with a jelly-like substance. Tests showed that these C-cells were producing a hormone called calcitonin, while other cells in the tumor were involved in making thyroid hormones. The detailed examination revealed specific features of the cells that are typical for this type of tumor. The outcome of the case is not mentioned, so it's unclear how the horse responded to treatment.

Abstract

A thyroid gland tumor, showing unusual histology, was identified in a 13-year-old male Andalusian horse. Microscopically, the tumor consisted of neoplastic proliferation of C-cell (parafollicular cell) with cytoplasmic fine granules, containing diffusely distributed, variously sized colloid-containing follicles. Immunohistochemically, the neoplastic C-cell were positive for calcitonin and follicleforming epithelial cells showed a positive reaction for thyroglobulin. Ultrastructurally, membrane-bound secretory granules up to 250 nm in diameter were found in the cytoplasm of the parafollicular cells, whereas the follicular epithelial cells had microvilli, junctional complex, and well-developed endoplasmic reticulum.

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Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9560793/