OCCURRENCE OF CUTANEOUS FIBROMATOSIS IN ROE DEER (CAPREOLUS-CAPREOLUS-CAPREOLUS) POPULATIONS OF THE GREAT PLAIN OF HUNGARY

In the years 1996 and 1997 neoplastic skin lesions were recorded sever al times in about 2 to 3% of all roe deers (Capreolus capreolus) kille d in the Eastern parts of Hungary. The lesions, proven by histopatholo gy as dermatofibromas (Fig. 4), appeared in various locations (head, t runk, extremities) in different sizes (Fig. 1-3). According to the rec ords of hunters, such lesions first appeared in 1987, after the Tchern obyl nuclear reactor accident, in the Easternmost county of Hungary. T he occurrence of dermatofibromas was not recorded in other game specie s that are indigenous in that region such as red deer (Cervus elaphus) , fallow deer (Dama dama), and wild boar (Sus scrofa). The aetiology o f this disease could not be unequivocally established. Recently, resea rch efforts have been focussing on local environmental effects, partic ularly radioactivity and cancerogen chemicals.