Management of tendon haemangiosarcoma in a Bactrian camel (Camelus bactrianus) – a case report

An 18-year old intact female Bactrian camel (Camelus bactrianus) was suffering from lameness due to a mass on the right dorsal metacarpal region that caused acute swelling and local skin necrosis. Histology examination and immunohistochemistry of the biopsy material of a mass revealed haemangiosarcoma of the extensor tendons. Three weeks after the biopsy, the tumour was enlarged to 6 cm in diameter and the animal became disabled. The tumour with its associated tendon were resected and the tendon’s edges were bridged with a synthetic polytape graft. The camel was fully weight-bearing after the surgery. Two weeks later, the graft was removed due to widespread necrosis. Since the wound was positive for Corynebacterium sp., Acinetobacter iwoffii, Micrococcus sp., Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus sp., the post-operative antibiotic treatment was prolonged for 28 days. Four months later, the wound healed using daily irrigation and bandaging and the camel walked normally. Nine months after diagnosis, the camel suddenly died without any clinical signs. Metastases of the haemangiosarcoma were found in the liver, lungs, kidneys, brain, meninges, and mediastinum. Exsanguination due to rupture of a liver metastasis was determined as the cause of the death. Haemangiosarcoma is a malignant neoplasm that arises from endothelial cells of blood vessels and tends to be very aggressive. To the author’s knowledge, this is the first case report of a metastasizing haemangiosarcoma arising from the lateral extensor tendon in a Bactrian camel.