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# Non-primary adenocarcinoma in a pet goat ( Capra hircus )

Faten Bouaicha, Joanna Sayah, Nathalie Cordonnier, Bérangère

Ravary-plumioën

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Faten Bouaicha, Joanna Sayah, Nathalie Cordonnier, Bérangère Ravary-plumioën. Non-primary adenocarcinoma in a pet goat ( Capra hircus ). Veterinary Record Case Reports, 2025, 10.1002/vrc2.70055 . hal-05042238

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Submitted on 22 Apr 2025

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## CASE REPORT

### Companion or pet animals

# Non-primary adenocarcinoma in a pet goat (Capra hircus)

Faten Bouaicha<fnref n="1" /> ID

Joanna Sayah<fnref n="1" />

Nathalie Cordonnier<fnref n="2" /> ID

Bérangère Ravary-Plumioën<fnref n="1" /> ID

### Correspondence

Faten Bouaicha, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire
Vétérinaire-Animaux de production, Ecole
Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, Maisons-Alfort,
94700, France.

Email: faten.bouaicha@vet-alfort.fr

### Abstract

A 12-year-old hysterectomised pet goat was referred for posterior lameness and general weakness evolving into paralysis. Spine radiography showed a sublumbar mass and a vertebral fracture. The computed tomography scan and postmortem examination further confirmed the presence of sublumbar adenocarcinoma infiltrating vertebrae and inducing a pathological fracture of the fifth lumbar vertebra. Metastasis was evident in the liver and lungs but the primary tumour could not be identified. However, the medical history of hysterectomy and hydrometra led to suspicion of primary endometrial adenocarcinoma. This case report supports the consideration of adenocarcinoma as a serious and common disorder in pet goats with weight loss and weakness.

### KEYWORDS

computed tomography (CT), goats, radiography, tumours

## BACKGROUND

Adenocarcinoma are malignant neoplasms that originate from glandular epithelioma, which can occur in various organs.<fnref n="1" /> While well documented in people, dogs and cats, adenocarcinoma remains poorly reported in goats. The only descriptions are restricted to a few case reports of primary adenocarcinoma that affects the liver,<fnref n="2" /> mammary glands,³ digestive tract⁴ and the reproductive system.⁵⁻⁷

The prevalence, pathogenesis and clinical presentation of adenocarcinoma in goats are not well-characterised. However, clinical features depend on the tumour location and may include anorexia, weight loss, abdominal pain or dyspnoea.⁷ The occurrence of metastasis in regional lymph nodes or other organs is common and responsible for other clinical signs.⁸ We report herein a clinical case of non-primary adenocarcinoma in a pet goat.

## CASE PRESENTATION

A 12-year-old pet goat, weighing 20 kg, was presented in July 2023 to the Farm Animal Hospital of the Alfort National Veterinary School, France with a posterior limb lameness (Figure 1). The owner reported hyporexia, weight loss, a general weakness for 4 weeks and a right hindlimb lameness. Two years ago, the animal was ovariohysterectomised as a treatment for a hydrometra.

<figure><img src="image_3.png" /><figcaption>FIGURE 1 The goat after its admission to the hospital.</figcaption></figure>

On admission, the general physical examination revealed tachycardia (128 beats per minute), tachypnea (100 breaths per

<footnote n="1">¹Centre Hospitalier Universitaire
Vétérinaire-Animaux de production, Ecole
Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, Maisons-Alfort,
France</footnote>

<footnote n="2">²Unité d'Histologie et d'Anatomie Pathologique,
Ecole nationale vétérinaire d'Alfort,
Maisons-Alfort, France</footnote>

<footnote>This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.</footnote>

<footnote>© 2025 The Author(s). Veterinary Record Case Reports published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Veterinary Association.</footnote>
<figure><img src="image_4.png" /><figcaption>**FIGURE 2** The goat presenting a posterior paralysis with amyotrophia of the right leg.</figcaption></figure>

<figure><img src="image_5.png" /><figcaption>**FIGURE 3** Radiographic view of retroperitoneal suspicious mass. A fracture at the level of the fifth lumbar vertebra is suspected.</figcaption></figure>

minute) and ruminal atonia. The body condition score was poor, and the goat had several sore lesions in its sternum and carpal joints, a severe amyotrophy in the right posterior limb with an external rotation. The goat moved only when stimulated, using mainly its thoracic and left posterior limbs. The neurological examination was normal.

A cranio-dorsal coxo-femoral luxation was suspected and the goat received an analgesic (Meloxicam, Métacam, 2 mg/kg subcutaneously). After 48 hours of hospitalisation, the goat remained in permanent recumbency and the neurological examination revealed total posterior paralysis with marked lumbar back pain (Figure 2).

## INVESTIGATIONS

The spinal radiographs (lateral and ventro-dorsal projections) of the rachis revealed an osteoporotic aspect of the lumbar vertebrae (L4–L6) and the presence of an infiltrating sublumbar retroperitoneal mass. A vertebral fracture of L5 was suspected (Figure 3).

A computed tomography (CT) scan of the lumbosacral region was performed under general anaesthesia. It revealed

## LEARNING POINTS/TAKE-HOME MESSAGES

* Uterine adenocarcinoma should be suspected in adult goats with clinical signs of digestive or uterine disorders.

* Metastasis can be found in several organs such as the liver, lymphatic nodes and lungs.

* Clinical signs in goats depend on the localisation of the metastasis.

* Ultrasonography and radiography can be useful exams to establish a diagnosis.

<figure><img src="image_6.png" /><figcaption>**FIGURE 4** A scan image of the abdominal masse (yellow circle) infiltrates the aorta and lumbar vertebrae. The blue arrow shows a vertebral demineralisation.</figcaption></figure>

the presence of a retroperitoneal mass measuring 8 cm in diameter, engulfing the abdominal aorta and the right urethra. The mass also infiltrated lumbar vertebrae L4–L6 and caused a fracture of L5 due to severe demineralisation (Figure 4).

Given the deteriorating health condition and failure to respond to supportive therapy, the owners decided to have their goat humanely euthanased. Postmortem examination of the animal revealed an 8.5 × 4.5 cm sized primary tumour. It extended from L3 to the sacrum and infiltrated sublumbar muscles, vertebrae, the right urethra and a portion of the abdominal aorta. The sub-iliac lymph nodes were not identifiable suggesting that they were invaded by the tumour (Figure 5). The macroscopic examination of the tumoral mass revealed a solid pearly white homogenous aspect (Figure 6). The tumoral infiltration induced severe osteolysis in the lumbar vertebrae. Exaggerated mobility and the exhibition of the spinal cord suggested a fracture of L5. The right kidney presented hydronephrosis, secondary to the tumour obstruction of the urethra (Figure 7). There was a hepatomegaly with numerous (1–5 cm) nodules in the liver (Figure 8) and lungs. They showed the same macroscopic appearance as the sublumbar tumour and thus corresponded to metastasis in these two organs.

Samples of the tumour and the suspected metastases were collected and processed for histopathological examination. Microscopic examination of the samples revealed that the tumour was characterised by a neoplastic proliferation of nest or tubular structures formed by cubic to columnar epithelial cells that infiltrated the muscles, nerves and vertebrae. Some
<figure><img src="image_7.png" /><figcaption>**FIGURE 5** A scanned image of the sublumbar mass (red arrows) infiltering L4–L6 associated with a vertebral fracture and right hydronephrosis.</figcaption></figure>

<figure><img src="image_8.png" /><figcaption>**FIGURE 6** Aspect of the mass in lumbosacral area at postmortem examination.</figcaption></figure>

cells were much more anaplastic. The tumour presented an abundant fibrovascular stroma. Metastatic foci of the same tumour cells were found in the liver and the lungs (Figure 9). The histopathological diagnosis was compatible with a tubular adenocarcinoma of unknown origin but a uterine origin is possible.

## OUTCOME AND FOLLOW-UP

The goat, referred for lameness, suffered from tubular adenocarcinoma with hepatic and pulmonary metastases. The tumoral infiltration was responsible for a vertebral osteolysis that induced a vertebral fracture of L5. However, the lumbar fractures suggest the presence of spinal cord injuries, which explains the neurological signs consisting of posterior limb paralysis.

## DISCUSSION

The present paper describes an uncommon case of a non-primary retroperitoneal adenocarcinoma in a pet goat. Regarding the unknown localisation of the primitive tumour,

<figure><img src="image_9.png" /><figcaption>**FIGURE 7** Homogenous aspect of the mass at postmortem examination. The aorta is visible (yellow arrow).</figcaption></figure>

<figure><img src="image_10.png" /><figcaption>**FIGURE 8** Presence of a 4 cm diameter nodule in the liver parenchyma corresponding to tumour metastasis.</figcaption></figure>

the main challenge was to identify the aetiology. Goats are becoming popular pet animals; they are managed differently from production animals and reach older age exposing them to new diseases including neoplasia. Unlike in small animals in which neoplastic diseases are better documented, there are limited data on symptoms and treatment of tumoral conditions in goats. A review of goats' biopsy and postmortem examination revealed that only 8.7% (100/1146) of analysed samples were diagnosed as neoplasms.⁷ Multiple case reports documented neoplasms in different goats' organs including skin and pituitary gland (n = 12), small intestine (n = 11)⁹, mammary gland (n = 10)¹⁰, thymus (n = 9)¹¹, and gall bladder and pancreas (n = 2). In the same trend, uterine neoplasms are also described. A recent 15-year retrospective study¹² conducted at the Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital between 2007 and 2022 reported that among 46 goats diagnosed with neoplasia, six presented genital neoplasia consisting of leiomyoma (n = 4) and adenocarcinoma (n = 2). This result is aligned with the previous report by Linton et al.,⁸ who reported that adenocarcinoma (13/42; 31%), leiomyoma (13/42; 31%) and leiomyosarcoma (11/42; 26%) were the most common genital tumours in goats.
<figure><img src="image_11.png" /><figcaption>**FIGURE 9** Histopathology of the tumour foci. (a) Low-magnification view of the infiltration of the tumoral cells in the medullary cavities of bone. (b) Low-magnification view of the infiltration of the liver by metastatic cells. (c) Close-up view of the tumoral cells in the muscle and characteristic epithelial tubules (arrows). Haematoxylin, eosin and saffron staining, bar = 50 µm (a and b), and bar = 200 µm (c).</figcaption></figure>

Adenocarcinoma in goats usually affects the lungs (ovine pulmonary adenocarcinoma) and nasal glands (enzootic nasal adenocarcinoma).<sup>13</sup> However, less frequent localisations such as small intestine, urogenital tract, liver and mammary gland were also reported.<sup>7,13</sup> Castala and colleagues<sup>14</sup> reported endometrial adenocarcinoma in four pet goats. Common initial symptoms were nonspecific and include anorexia, weakness, pain and abdominal distension. The ultrasound examination revealed abdominal and thoracic effusions, hepatic masses and hydronephrosis. Hydrometra was present in the four cases. Accordingly, the differential diagnosis in each case included uterine infections (pyometra, hydrometra), digestive dysfunction (acidosis, indigestion) and neoplasia. Postmortem examination of three of the four goats confirmed the presence of endometrial adenocarcinoma with several metastases in the lungs, liver and iliac lymph nodes.

A case report of an intramedullary metastatic endometrial adenocarcinoma in a 7-year-old goat was reported for the first time in domestic animals by Consalter and colleagues.<sup>14</sup> Tetraparesis, perineal hypoesthesia and sternal recumbency with a rapid progressive evolution were the common symptoms.

Considering the above-mentioned cases, it could be deduced that the inaugural symptoms of adenocarcinoma are unspecific, which makes the diagnosis challenging. However, degradation of general condition occurs rapidly and is always associated with the occurrence of metastasis. A solid suspicion of neoplasm can only be advanced when the animal expresses clinical signs caused by metastasis. At this stage, the prognosis is very poor.

Ultrasonography is an extremely useful tool in the diagnosis of adenocarcinoma. It could be performed transabdominally or transrectally searching for a thickness in the uterine wall or the presence of luminal masses.<sup>8</sup> Also, uterine distension with echogenic images of liquid, characteristic of hydrometra, can be seen in goats developing uterine tumours. Endometrial adenocarcinoma can be associated with a secondary hydrometra due to luminal obstruction. In this case, a careful examination of the totality of the uterus searching for intraluminal masses should be performed. However, the confirmation of uterine tumours may be difficult based only on ultrasonography, as heterogeneous masses are not easy to identify.<sup>12</sup> Ultrasonography can also be used to detect metastasis, which gives an important prognostic value. Metastasis can be found in the liver, lungs, lymph nodes, spinal cord,

and so forth. CT scan is also a useful diagnostic tool for uterine tumours and metastasis identification.<sup>15</sup> This technique can be proposed when pet goat owners accept to deepen the investigations.

The present goat was hysterectomised 2 years ago. However, regarding the incubation period of tumours, the hypothesis of a primary endometrial adenocarcinoma remains strongly valid. Anderson and Pratschke<sup>16</sup> reported a similar case with an adenocarcinoma abdominal metastasis in an ovariohysterectomised cat. Besides, endometrial adenocarcinoma is commonly described in rabbits and haematogenous metastasis in the lungs, liver and bones that are observed 1-2 years after the clinical onset.<sup>17</sup> In another study, a rabbit with a uterine adenocarcinoma was hysterectomised, and 9 months later it developed intrathoracic metastasis.<sup>18</sup>

Metastases of uterine adenocarcinoma were reported in rabbits, cats and goats with the liver, lungs, kidney, mesentery and spinal cord as the main metastatic organs.<sup>6,8,19</sup> Metastases were most commonly detected when the primary tumour was adenocarcinoma. This confirms the capacity of adenocarcinoma to infiltrate several organs and explains the polymorphism of reported symptoms and the fatal issue of most cases.

Despite the poor prognosis of uterine adenocarcinoma, the prevalence of uterine tumours can be underestimated as the life span of farm goats is shorter than pet goats. Adenocarcinoma in goats appears as an aggressive tumour with a high trend to metastasise. The difficulties of early diagnosis, the non-evident clinical signs and the frequency of metastatic dissemination lead to a poor prognosis of this tumour. In conclusion, this case report illustrates the importance of considering adenocarcinoma in old pet goats.

## AUTHOR CONTRIBUTIONS

Faten Bouaicha, Joanna Sayah, Nathalie Cordonnier and Bérangère Ravary-Plumioen studied and investigated the case. Faten Bouaicha and Bérangère Ravary-Plumioen edited and prepared the manuscript.

## CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT

The authors declare they have no conflicts of interest.

## FUNDING INFORMATION

The authors received no specific funding for this work.
## ETHICS STATEMENT

Ethical approval is not applicable as this report describes a clinical case.

## ORCID

Faten Bouaicha ID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7103-6754

Nathalie Cordonnier ID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5632-9732

Bérangère Ravary-Plumioën ID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5198-4703

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How to cite this article: Bouaicha F, Sayah J, Cordonnier N, Ravary-Plumioën B. Non-primary adenocarcinoma in a pet goat (*Capra hircus*). Vet Rec Case Rep. 2025;e70055. https://doi.org/10.1002/vrc2.70055