Surgical management of horn cancer in ten buffaloes

Abstract

Ten buffaloes aged 6 - 8 years were presented to the clinic with horn cancer, involving the right horn in six animals and the left horn in four. The affected horns showed foul-smelling discharge, swelling at the horn base, and noticeable tilting of the horn. Clinical examination, along with signs such as persistent head shaking, supported a diagnosis of horn cancer. Hematological analysis revealed neutrophilia and lymphopenia. Eight animals were restrained in standing position, while two were positioned in lateral recumbency with the affected horn uppermost. Sedation was achieved using xylazine at 0.03 mg/kg body weight for standing restraint and 0.01 mg/kg for recumbent animals. Cornual nerve block and ring block with 2% lignocaine hydrochloride were administered before horn amputation. Surgical removal of the horn tumor was performed at the horn base, and all animals recovered uneventfully. Histopathological examination of the excised tissue confirmed the tumor as squamous cell carcinoma.