Squamous cell carcinoma in a mandibular lymph node diagnosed as bovine tuberculosis during slaughterhouse inspection

Abstract

The diagnosis of bovine tuberculosis (TBC) involves the combination of several techniques to obtain an accurate diagnosis. Among them, the inspection of the animal body at the slaughterhouse is, perhaps, one of the most important for the surveillance of bovine TBC. In Chile, the guidelines for this practice appear in the Official Inspection Manual of the Agricultural and Livestock Service (SAG). Nevertheless, there are wrong interpretations of findings at the slaughterhouse. This study describes a squamous cell carcinoma in the submandibular lymph node of a cow that was initially diagnosed as tuberculosis, based on the presence of caseous necrosis and mineralization detected during postmortem gross examination. Squamous cell carcinoma is a common tumor of white-faced cows such as Hereford, which tend to metastasize to regional lymph nodes like the mandibular lymph node.