HISTOLOGICAL FEATURES OF POORLY

Annals of RSCB
Vol. XIV, Issue 1
HISTOLOGICAL FEATURES OF POORLY DIFFERENTIATED
EYELID SQUAMOUS CARCINOMA IN COW
A. F. Gal1, V. Miclaus2, L. Oana3, V. Rus2, C. Ober3, C. Pestean3
1
DEPARTMENT OF PATHOLOGY, NECROPSY AND FORENSIC MEDICINE
2
DEPARTMENT OF HISTOLOGY; 3DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY
FACULTY OF VETERINARY MEDICINE CLUJ-NAPOCA, 3-5 MĂNĂŞTUR STREET,
ROMANIA
Summary
Squamous cell carcinoma is a malignant tumor of epidermal cells with varying degrees of
keratinocyte (squamous cell) differentiation. Diagnosed squamous cell carcinoma consisted of
islands, cords, and trabeculae of invasive epithelial cells that had an association with the
overlying epidermis. Usually, in eyelid squamous carcinoma are formed intra tumor keratin
pearls (concentric lamellae of keratin within the tumor) by invasive neoplastic cells, but there
were scattered such features. The cells and nuclei were large, with hyperchromatic nuclei, and
chromatin often appeared clumped. The nucleoli varied in size but were prominent. There were
encountered an increased number of mitotic figures. Whereas squamous tumors that are well
differentiated have several and large keratin pearls, presented eyelid squamous carcinoma was
poorly differentiated, showing keratinization of individual cells. All histological aspects
indicated a high aggressively and invasive non-differentiated squamous carcinoma, with a high
nuclear and mitotic degree.
Key words: squamous, carcinoma, keratin, cow, eyelid.
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There is often the formation of keratin
pearls (concentric lamellae of keratin within
the tumor) by invasive neoplastic cells.
Whereas those tumors that are well
differentiated from keratin pearls, poorly
differentiated
tumors
only
show
keratinization of individual cells (Baba A.I.
and Cătoi C., 2007; Goldschmidt MH et all,
1998).
Ocular squamous cell carcinoma in
cattle has a variable incidence in different
geographical areas, but it has been
diagnosed in all countries where cattle are
raised. The risk factors incriminated are:
genetic predisposition, UV radiation, nonpigmented skin in the orbital area, also
including irritations produced by insects,
chemical substances and even some viruses.
The Hereford and Holstein breeds have a
higher sensitivity to squamous cell
carcinoma (Baba A.I., Cătoi C., 2007).
There are four common stages in the
development of thse ocular tumors. These
Introduction
Squamous cell carcinoma is a highly
malignant neoplasm, frequently associated
with solar dermatosis, being the tumor of
the cells of the malpighian layer from the
epidermis. It has a high incidence, being
reported in all species of domestic animals,
with a higher frequency in horses, dogs and
cats, especially in adult and old animals. In
cattle squamous carcinoma had been
reported in locations such as: eyes and
periorbital tissue, vulva, anus, perineum,
and horn base. A very peculiar location was
reported in cattle, at the level of the horn
core epithelium, under the form of
squamous cell carcinoma (Goldschmidt
MH et all, 1998). Most cases of squamous
cell carcinoma consist of islands, cords, and
trabeculae of invasive epithelial cells that
almost always have an association with the
overlying epidermis, in which there has
been a breaching of the basal lamina zone.
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Annals of RSCB
Vol. XIV, Issue 1
stages
include
plaques,
keratomas,
papillomas, and eventually carcinoma.
These first three stages are benign;
carcinomas are malignant (ability to spread
to adjacent or underlying tissues). The
carcinoma will progressively grow and
invade the entire orbit, including the eyeball
and large portions of the face if left
untreated. Invasion of the eyeball will result
in blindness. Regional lymph nodes around
the head and neck (parotid and
submandibular lymph nodes) are common
sites of spreading (Baba A.I. and Cătoi C.,
2007).
neutrophils or eosinophiles. There was
notified a very rare and particular aspect,
such as intra tumor granulomatous diffuse
inflammation. This feature had been
presented only in scattered tumor areas or
in the neoplasm vicinity.
Tumor cells have an increased
cellular and nuclear polymorph aspect, with
large nuclei and several and no
homogenous nucleoli. In many cases the
nucleoli are quite large and irregular, even
in the same nucleus. Cells cytoplasm
presents some fine granules or vacuoles like
in sebaceous glands, which in fact is
“trapped” into tumor structure. In some
tumor areas could be noticed a discrete cells
tumor keratinisation by forming reduced
size parakeratotic pearls (Fig. 1, 2). This
feature had been noticed only in a few
microscopy fields. Contrarily with a
reduced cells tumor keratinisation there
were encountered an increased number of
mitotic figures (Fig. 2), many of them with
an atypical aspect. The tumor has young but
abundant connective tissues that in fact
reveal a high tumor proliferation degree.
Material and methods
The material of the investigation
was represented by ocular tumor biopsies
surgically removed (in department of
surgery from Faculty of Veterinary
Medicine Cluj-Napoca, Romania) from one
cow. The harvested tumor sample had been
processed using paraffin technique in
department of histology (Faculty of
Veterinary
Medicine
Cluj-Napoca,
Romania). There were used usual staining
procedures, such as Haematoxilyn-eosin
and tricrom Masson. The tumor was
provided by 11 years old Romanian Spotted
cow that had been localized in the left eye,
affecting both superior and inferior eyelid.
The tumor developed during 6 months
firstly being noticed a small nummular
formation in left temporal eye angle (eyelid
localization).
Results and discussions
The cow was surgically treated by
removing the tumor located on eyelid, the
formation being characterized by an
increased invasion into surrounding tissues.
The tumor had a dense consistence and a
blank-grayish color in gross section.
Histologically, the new formation
was a high aggressively tumor derived from
epidermic spiny cells. Malign and highly
invasive cells are disposed into several
groups (like nests) that are surrounded by
an abundant connective tissue (Fig. 1, 2).
Connective tissue is abundantly
infiltrated by macrophages, and scattered
Fig. 1. Squamous cell carcinoma – nests of
tumor cell in infiltrated
connective stroma, and keratinisation.
TMx200.
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Annals of RSCB
Vol. XIV, Issue 1
All histological aspects presented
above indicate a high aggressively and
invasive
non-differentiated
squamous
carcinoma, with a high nuclear and mitotic
degree. The features described are quite
characteristic for this tumor type.
Conclusions
The new formation was a high
aggressively tumor derived from epidermic
spiny cells. Diagnosed squamous cell
carcinoma consisted of islands, cords, and
trabeculae of invasive epithelial cells that
had an association with the overlying
epidermis. Tumor cells have an increased
cellular and nuclear polymorph aspect, with
large nuclei and several and no
homogenous nucleoli. The tumor presented
a discreet keratinisation, but there were
encountered an increased number of mitotic
figures, many of them with an atypical
aspect. All histological and clinical features
indicate a high aggressively and invasive
non-differentiated squamous carcinoma,
with a high nuclear and mitotic degree.
Fig. 2. Squamous cell carcinoma –
keratinisation and mitotic figures.
TMx400.
References
Baba A.I., Cătoi C., Comparative Oncology,
Romanian Academy Ed, 423 – 406, 2007.
Goldschmidt MH, Dunstan RW, Stannard AA,
von Tscharner C, Walder EJ, Yager JA,
Histological classification of epithelial and
melanoctic tumors of the skin of domestic
animals (WHO Classification) vol. III, Armed
Forces Institute of Pathol., 20-54, 1998.
Elder D.E., Lever’s histopathology of the skin,
Lippincott Williams and Wilkins Philadelphia,
830-835, 2005.
Fig. 3. Squamous cell carcinoma – invasive
character of tumor cells into connective
tissue. TMx200.
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