Clinico-pathological and immunohistochemical findings in a case of bovine cutaneous angiomatosis in a Holstein heifer

ABSTRACT: Bovine cutaneous angiomatosis (BCA) is a rare condition characterized by vasoproliferative skin lesions mainly affecting cattle in the northern hemisphere. An eight-month-old Holstein heifer showed two skin easy-bleeding nodules bulging from the epidermis in the forehead and close to the right prescapular region. Skin lesions were within the dermis and had an irregular surface and a soft heterogeneous reddish parenchyma composed of numerous variable-sized arterioles, veins, and capillaries surrounded by abundant collagenous fibrous tissue. Immunohistochemical assays evidenced endothelial cells lining proliferative vascular structure immunolabeled for CD31 and Von Willebrand factor, and vascular smooth muscle cells immunostained for smooth muscle actin. All clinical, pathological, and immunohistochemical features observed in the Holstein heifer were hallmarks of BCA. Considering its potential for hereditary spread, BCA must be included in the differential diagnosis of easily bleeding skin nodules that do not respond to routine topical wound treatments to prevent its spread in Brazilian herds.摘要：牛皮肤血管瘤病（Bovine cutaneous angiomatosis，BCA）是一类罕见病症，以血管增生性皮肤病变为特征，主要累及北半球的牛只。1头8月龄荷斯坦青年母牛于前额及右肩胛前区附近出现两处易出血的表皮隆起性皮肤结节。该皮肤病变位于真皮层内，表面不规则，实质呈质地柔软不均的红色，由大量大小不一的小动脉、静脉及毛细血管构成，周围环绕着丰富的胶原纤维组织。免疫组织化学检测显示，衬覆于增生性血管结构的内皮细胞可被CD31与血管性血友病因子（Von Willebrand factor）标记，而血管平滑肌细胞可被平滑肌肌动蛋白（smooth muscle actin）免疫染色。该荷斯坦青年母牛所呈现的全部临床、病理及免疫组织化学特征，均为牛皮肤血管瘤病的标志性特征。鉴于其存在遗传性传播的潜在风险，对于常规局部伤口治疗无效的易出血性皮肤结节，需将牛皮肤血管瘤病纳入鉴别诊断范畴，以防止其在巴西牛群中扩散。