Neoplasia of the Female Reproductive Tract
Few tumors of the genital system have been reported in does. Select cases might be treated by ovariectomy or hysterectomy.
Ovarian Tumors
A 400 g cystic ovarian tumor histologically resembling a granulosa cell tumor was identified in an Alpine doeling that fi rst underwent a false pregnancy with udder development and lactation, and then developed masculine appearance, behavior, and odor.
Metastasis to the uterus occurred. Histologically, pituitary, adrenal, and thyroid glands were normal (Dewalque 1963). Another granulosa tumor caused short estrous cycles and masculine behavior in a 3-year-old Toggenburg doe (Lofstedt and Williams 1986); its removal allowed establishment of a normal pregnancy. Additional granulosa cell tumors were reported by Cooke and Merrall (1992) and Kutty and Mathew (1995). A dysgerminoma weighing 1450 g was ballotable through the abdominal wall of an aged doe (Smith 1980). A mucinous adenocarcinoma of the ovary of a 6-year-old Nubian doe was associated with accumulation of 30 L of ascitic fluid in the abdomen (Memon et al. 1995). Ovarian involvement with multicentric lymphosarcoma has also been reported (DiGrassie et al. 1997) and other tumors may metastasize to the ovary Tlie Jislinguish- ing features of these tumors (and others that might occasionally occur in goats) have been well described by Meuten (2017).Uterine and Cervical Tumors
The most commonly observed tumor of the tubular genitalia of the doe may be the leiomyosarcoma, which grows by slow invasion and rarely metastasizes. Vaginal bleeding is a common presentation, and Saanens may be predisposed to this tumor, although another study (Linton et al. 2020) found Pygmy goats overrepresented. Seven cases were diagnosed over a 20-year period at a diagnostic laboratory in New York, and five of these were in Saanens, including co-twins affected at 12 and 13 years of age (Whitney et al.
2000). A 7-year-old Saanen doe with a leiomyosarcoma of the body of the uterus collapsed and died from hemorrhage when the uterus ruptured at the tumor site. The tumor had invaded the broad ligament, but had not metastasized to lymph nodes, liver, or lungs (Ryan 1980). In another report of leiomyosarcoma, two Nubian-Boer cross sibling does each presented with a hemorrhagic vaginal discharge; ultrasonography revealed enlargement of or masses in the uterus (Runcan et al. 2016). Tumor excision from a ventral midline incision was successful in one, but not in the other doe, which also had pollakiuria on presentation and extension of the tumor into the pelvis.Leiomyomas occur occasionally and may be an incidental finding at necropsy (Ramadan and El Hassan 1975). One reported leiomyoma of the uterus caused dystocia and was removed per vagina after parturition (Kaikini and Deshmukh 1977). Another leiomyoma of the cervix of a 9-year-old Toggenburg invaded the vagina and uterus; it caused a hemorrhagic discharge and severe straining and was diagnosed by vaginal examination (Cockcroft and McInnes 1998). An elderly Toggenburg doe experienced acute fatal vaginal hemorrhage from a cervical leiomyoma (Uzal and Puschner 2008). A dwarf goat with pollakiuria had a leiomyoma that was surgically removed, but shortly thereafter the goat developed an adenocarcinoma in the stump of the uterus that metastasized extensively (Pfister et al. 2007). Other reported tumors include a leiomyofibroma of the uterus in a 5-year-old goat (Damodaran and Parthasarathy 1972), fibromas of the uterus and vagina and an adenoma of the vagina (Kronberger 1961), a cervical fibroma that protruded from the vulva (Gokak 1988), and a fibroid (Sastry 1959). A 12-year-old goat in poor body condition that had not become pregnant for many years was found to have a uterine adenocarcinoma that had metastasized extensively to oviduct, ovary, lymph nodes, lung, liver, spleen, and skeletal muscle (Riedel 1964). In a more recent study, 13 of 42 does with neoplasia of the tubular reproductive tract were diagnosed with adenocarcinoma, and metastasis had occurred in 9 of 10 that were necropsied (Linton et al. 2020). Ovariohysterectomy has been proposed as a means of preventing uterine tumors in pet goats (Daniel et al. 2019). Lymphosarcoma can also involve the uterus (Whitney et al. 2000).