Fatal splenic rupture caused by an atypical malignant lymphoma in a Holstein cow

Document Type : Scientific report

Authors

1 Center of Excellence in Ruminant Abortion and Neonatal Mortality, Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

2 Departmednt of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Postmortem examination of a 5.5-year-old Holstein cow with history of sudden death showed a very
huge spleen (120 × 45 × 10 cm) associated with severe haemoperitoneum. Histopathological findings
included extensive infiltration of medium to large sized lymphocytic and lymphoblastic cells with small
amounts of cytoplasm, round nuclei with coarsely granular chromatin in the spleen, and limited foci of
similar cellular infiltration in the liver. This case was diagnosed as a fatal splenic rupture caused by an
atypical malignant lymphoma.

Keywords