Aspectos clínicos e histopatológicos do carcinoma hepatocelular (chc) em vaca: relato de caso

Abstract

The liver is the largest internal organ of the body with various functions, and for being considered the guardian of homeostasis, is vulnerable to varied disorders, and commonly involved in metastases of other organs. Although secondary liver diseases are common, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most common tumor in men and the third most common tumor in women worldwide. This malignant neoplasm is rare occurrence in production animals, with reports in horses, goats, sheep and cattle, and ruminants are the most affected species. The objective of this work is report a clinic case of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in cow attended at the University Hospital of Veterinary Medicine (HUMV) of the Federal University of Recôncavo da Bahia - Cruz das Almas, Ba, with a historic of progressive weight loss and dewlap edema. The animal underwent a complete clinical examination and complementary tests, which indicated a probable hepatic or renal involvement.The therapeutic treatment was not successful, and the animal died at the end of an exploratory laparotomy where hepatic dysfunction was confirmed. Necropsy revealed a focally extensive mass and multiple nodules of various sizes in the liver, lymph nodes and lung. In microscopy, these observed nodules showed tumor masses formed by cells similar to hepatocytes, arranged in the form of strands or in agglomerates. Thus, necropsy and histopathology confirmed the diagnosis of CHC. It was not possible to determine the etiology of the neoplasia in this case, however, the effect of aflatoxicose as inducers of HCC should not be ruled out. The probable involvement of aflatoxins is due to the fact that maize is part of the diet provided to the bovine, and this grain type allows the growth of fungi and their toxins.