As the lead author of a recent journal publication, Erin Edwards, DVM, MS, DACVP, an anatomic pathologist at the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, TVMDL, documented a cluster of cases involving ethmoid tumors in white-tailed deer, WTD. In collaboration with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and other TVMDL staff, Edwards provides the first report of this unusual condition in which ethmoid tumors create noticeable bulges on the face of free-ranging WTD.
The study examined six WTD from Texas presenting with unusual masses in front of the eyes and poor body condition. Upon dissection, these deer were found to have tumors within the ethmoid region of the skull, which is just behind the nasal passages. The neoplastic growths identified included four plasma cell tumors, one adenosquamous carcinoma, and one adenocarcinoma.
In addition to the six deer in this study, TPWD has received reports of multiple similarly affected WTD. An infectious cause has not yet been identified, but the emergence of these unique cases suggests a possible environmental or pathogenic factor, warranting further investigation.
Learn more about this study and read the full text by visiting Sage Journals.
For more information on TVMDL’s testing options, visit tvmdl.tamu.edu or call the College Station lab at 1.888.646.5623.
