As the disease advances a brownish liquid effusion is found in the abdomen, and nodular masses formed on the surface of the peritoneum.
Symptoms. As in other tumors of the liver these are obscure. As the disease advances there may be œdema of the legs and sheath, indications of ascites, stiff movements, icterus, occasional colics, tympanies, and diarrhœa. Nervous symptoms may also appear, such as dullness, stupor, coma, vertigo and spasms. Emaciation goes on rapidly and death soon supervenes.
TUMORS OF THE LIVER IN CATTLE.
Sarcoma. Round or spindle shaped celled sarcomata have been described by Sodero and Cadeac, leading in one case to perforation of the vena portæ and death by hæmorrhage into the peritoneum.
Adenoma. Martin records a case of a hepatic tumor formed of adenoid tissue which had extended into the vena portæ, and microscopically presented a cylindroid character. In the advanced stages it caused some jaundice, digestive disorder, obstinate constipation, progressive and extreme emaciation, and weakness which kept the animal constantly in a recumbent position.
Angioma. These are rarely seen in the young but are comparatively common in old cows as they are in aged men. They form masses of a dark red color and very variable size, and have a limiting sac of connective tissue or merge into the adjacent hepatic structure. Microscopically they consist of a series of irregular lacunæ filled with liquid blood, blood clots, or leucocytes, and communicating with small blood vessels in the walls and partitions. They are believed to be formed by dilatation of the liver capillaries with subsequent thickening of their distended walls, and atrophy of the nearest liver cells. Cases of the kind have been recorded by Kitt, Martin, McFadyean, Saake, Van der Sluys, Korevaar and others. Though often seen in abattoirs, they seem to have little effect on the general health, and no special symptoms have been noted as indicating their existence.
Congenital Cysts. These are found on the anterior surface or lower border of the liver in young calves. They have no connection with the blood vessels, nor biliary canals, contain no head of larval tænia, and do not constantly show the presence of any particular bacterium. These walls are thin and their contents alkaline, with sometimes slight blood extravasation, or a yellowish deposit in which cocci have been found. Unless connected with cirrhosis or other serious disease of the hepatic tissue, their presence seems to have no pathological significance.
Carcinoma. This has been recorded in the liver of cattle by Gurlt, Brückmüller, Kitt and others. From the walls of the gall bladder it grows in pyriform masses, and on the surface and in the interior of the liver, it may appear as hard, cancerous masses of all sizes.
Epithelioma. This has been described by Kitt, Martin, Blanc, Leblanc, Morot, Cadeac, and Besnoit. It appears in masses varying in size from a millet seed up, bulging from the surface of the organ or deeply hidden in its substance, and stained yellow or green with bile. The liver is usually enlarged, amounting to even 34 pounds (Cadeac). The formation commencing in the acini invades all surrounding parts causing compression and atrophy of the liver cells, and the formation of nests of epithelioid cells often with multiple nuclei and nucleoli. Cirrhosis is not uncommon, and fatty and other degenerations. Microbic invasion and necrobiosis are also common.