Tumors of the kidney in cattle, sheep and pigs.

Abstract

This paper describes the incidence and histopathology of primary tumors of the kidney in slaughtered cattle, sheep and pigs encountered during a 12-month survey of all neoplasms found in 100 abattoirs throughout Great Britain. A total of 302 bovine, 107 ovine and 139 porcine tumors were examined. In cattle 11 (3.6%) were primary renal tumors (8.5 per million animals). In sheep 4 (3.7%) were renal tumors (0.9 per million animals) while in pigs the results were 16 (11.5%) and 4.3 per million. Secondary tumors involving the kidney outnumbered primaries in all species. The most common secondary tumor was lymphosarcoma. Histologically most bovine primary renal tumors were carcinomas—clear cell' carcinomas, tubular and papillary adenocarcinomas or pleomorphic acidophilic carcinomas. These were not separate types, however, and a transition from the clear cell to the tubular and papillary forms was apparent in many. In sheep all four specimens were renal carcinomas; a similar transition between variants was observed. In pigs most renal tumors were nephroblastomas, showing all of the well-known features of this neoplasm. Many renal carcinomas had metastasized, usually to the renal and sublumbar lymph nodes and sometimes involving lung, liver, peritoneum and bronchomediastinal lymph nodes. There was no evidence of any sex predisposition to renal neoplasia and no association between tumors of the kidney and the presence of any other renal disease.