Abstract
Oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is a common finding in domestic and wild felids. Only two cases of oral SCC have been reported in Lynx species (Lynx rufus and Lynx canadensis), at mandibular and gingival sites. In this study, we describe the first report of tongue SCC in a 15 years old female European lynx (Lynx lynx), along with viral investigations. Necropsy and histological analysis were performed and the presence of papillomavirus (PV) infection was investigated by ultrastructural and molecular methods. The lardaceous mass at tongue level was histologically diagnosed as moderately differentiated SCC. Typical microscopical features of SCC were also found in the retropharyngeal lymph node and at the pulmonary level. Neither viral DNA by PCR, nor viral particles by transmission electron microscopy were found. Despite that PV infection is associated with Felidae, this work reports the first description of tongue SCC in Lynx species, but no evidence of PV infection, suggesting that PV may not be involved in development of SCC in bobcat species.
Highlights
Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is an epithelial tumour arising from both mucosal and cutaneous epithelia
SCC of the oral cavity is a common finding in the domestic cat (Felis catus), it has been diagnosed in wild felids, such as Lynx species at both gingival and mandibular region [1,2,3]
Feline cutaneous SCCs are very frequently associated with Felis catus papillomavirus type-2 (FcaPV-2)
Summary
Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is an epithelial tumour arising from both mucosal and cutaneous epithelia. SCC of the oral cavity is a common finding in the domestic cat (Felis catus), it has been diagnosed in wild felids, such as Lynx species at both gingival and mandibular region [1,2,3]. Feline cutaneous SCCs are very frequently associated with Felis catus papillomavirus type-2 (FcaPV-2). FcaPVs DNA is rarely detectable in cat oral SCC, their tumorigenic potential in oral cavity is still unclear [4,6]. Oral benign tumours from Lynx have been previously associated to PV infection and a full-length Lynx PV genome (Lynx rufus PV type-1, LrPV-1). We describe the first report of tongue SCC from Lynx; molecular and ultrastructural analysis for detection of PV presence was performed, but the lesion was not associated with PV infection Has been isolated and cloned, the presence of PV in oral SCC in this species has never been investigated, so far [7,8].
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