MULTICENTRIC UNDIFFERENTIATED SPINDLE-CELL SARCOMA WITH VIRUS-LIKE PARTICLES IN AN AGED DAIRY-COW

A 10-year-old Holstein dairy cow was slaughtered because of weight los s and ataxia. In addition to a neoplastic mass in the animal's forehea d, there was extensive neoplastic infiltration of the skeleton and liv er. Other viscera were spared. Tumours were composed of sheets and int erlacing fascicles of poorly differentiated, vimentin-positive cells i n a fibrillar matrix. Intracytoplasmic virus-like particles, 80 nm in diameter, with a central electron-dense core were found in many neopla stic cells. This neoplasm had an unusual predilection for bone. The si gnificance of the virus-like particles requires further investigation. (C) 1995 Academic Press Limited