Neoplasias em ruminantes e equídeos diagnosticadas no Semiárido da Paraíba.

Abstract

In Brazil, data related with occurrence of tumors in production animals are scant. This research aimed to determine the frequency of tumors diagnosed in equidae, cattle, sheep and goats by the Pathology Laboratory of the Federal University of Campina Grande, in Patos, state of Paraíba, from 1983 to 2010. Risk analysis was realized by the Chi square test considering as variables species, breed, age, sex. During the period 178 (5,6%) out of 3153 specimens from biopsies or necropsies were diagnosed as tumors. Significant differences (p<0.001) were found in the prevalence of tumors between species, being horses (10.6%) more affected than cattle (6.8%) and cattle more affected than goats (3.3%) and sheep (2.1%). Squamous cell carcinoma was the most frequent tumor in cattle (58.3% of the tumors), sheep (80%), and goats (46.1%), and sarcoid (45.3%) was the most frequent in horses. The majority of the tumors affected the skin in horses (62.5%) and sheep (60%), the eyes and periocular skin in cattle (36.1%), and the female reproductive system (perineal region and vulva) in goats (34.6%). The high frequency of squamous cell carcinoma in all species and also melanomas observed in goats are probably associated with the intensity of sunlight in the region during the whole year.