Chicken Dropped Dead - No signs - Necropsy Results On Post 32

I'm glad to hear they received her safely. Hopefully everything comes back clean

The results came in (and I can barely understand any of them other to say tumors of the ovary)

Laboratory Findings / Diagnosis
Adenocarcinoma of the ovary.
Miscellaneous:
Liver, lung, kidney, heart: multifocal moderate to marked lymphoid follicular peribronchitis, hepatitis, myocarditis,
epicarditis, interstitial nephritis and ureteritis.

Case Summary:
The cause of death of this animal is the large abdominal mass that was confirmed to be an ovarian adenocarcinoma. In addition to the extensive neoplasm, there are lymphoid aggregates in multiple organs consistent with a chronic mild systemic stimulus. Bacterial culture is negative and no other disease-associated changes are observed in this chicken.

Gross Observations:
Examined is a carcass of a female chicken in very good body condition and mild postmortem autolysis. There are copious abdominal adipose tissue stores and the pectoral muscles are well developed. The abdomen is enlarged and flocculent. A large blood clot is within the abdominal cavity cicrcumscribing the serosal surfaces of the intestines and peritoneum. The abdominal cavity is filled with a multilocular mass extending from the ovaries. The ovaries contain thousands of ova and the mass is composed of multiple nodules that are tan, measure from 1.5 – 3 cm in diameter and two of them are largely expanded by a large amount of blood. The oviduct is markedly distended and a segment contains brown to red, hemorrhagic, necrotic material. The spleen is enlarged, measuring up to 2.5 x 2 x 4cm and has a meaty consistency with a diffuse purple color. The liver is friable and has irregular variably -sized (ranging from 1 mm to 3.5 mm) yellow flecks,
that also extend into the parenchyma on cut section. The lungs are edematous and congested. All other organs are unremarkable.

Bacteriology & Biotechnology:
Both negative

Histology:
Multiple sections of the brain, peripheral nerves, air sacs, trachea, lung, heart, kidneys, liver, spleen, pancreas, intestines, proventriculus, ventriculus and the ovarian adenocarcinoma (T14) are examined. Effacing the ovaries, the neoplastic mass is composed of multiple lobules of nests and trabecula of epithelial cells occasionally forming acinous structures with moderate density of fibrous connective tissue (desmoplasia). There is a low mitotic rate with occasional bizarre figures. There are extensive areas of necrosis and hemorrhage with fibrin in the sections. The neoplastic cells are highly pleomorphic and sometimes binucleated or multinucleated. Remnants of normal ova and ovaries are present in some sections. The oviduct contains abundant proteinaceous secretory islands with no evidence of adenocarcinoma. In the lung, multiple parabronchi are segmentally deranged by follicular lymphoid proliferation. Multifocally, the interstitial septa is also expanded, by prominent aggregates of macrophages containing dust particles (pneumoconiosis). Similar follicular lymphoid aggregates are observed in the heart; within the myocardium and epicardium and in the liver parenchyma and in the kidneys, including the ureters.

Well, at least the rest of your flock isn't in danger! Sorry you lost your hen, Rob.

Rob, did you know that chickens are the only animal that commonly gets spontaneous ovarian tumors? They study hens to learn about ovarian cancer in humans!

http://www.jstor.org/pss/3430596

Well, of course I did Cyn... I know EVERYTHING about chickens!




That's a pretty interesting article.

Quote:
Yeah, anything you say, Boss-Man.

Thorough necropsy report! Great news that she didn't have anything contagious (negative cultures)!

This is a great report in terms of your flock's health and peace of mind in knowing there was nothing you could have done for her. Sounds like she was really not doing very well. Birds are SO good at masking any illness until they are about to keel over!

[my untrained read is that many of her major organs were inflamed because she had cancer (i.e., I think the chronic systemic stimulus they are referring to is the cancer), and she had a bit of dust in her nose (might have inhaled it when she was passing)]

Sorry for your loss.

Quote:
Yeah, anything you say, Boss-Man.

Which is why I surround myself with the smartest nicest people ever (especially in the staff)!!!

Quote:
Yeah, anything you say, Boss-Man.

Ditto on the article - interesting! Learn something new every day!

Well at least you know.

Ovarian cancer. Had she stopped laying before death?