Successful treatment of a squamous cell carcinoma in a white rhinoceros, Ceratotherium simum

• Published in: Veterinary dermatology Vol. 18; no. 6; pp. 460 - 463
• Main Authors: Goodman, Gidona, Rhind, Susan, Meredith, Anna
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Oxford, UK : Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-12-2007; Blackwell Publishing Ltd
• Subjects: Administration, Oral; animal injuries; Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents - administration & dosage; Anti-Bacterial Agents - therapeutic use; bacterial infections; balsam peru; bismuth oxide; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - complications; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - diagnosis; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - surgery; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - veterinary; case studies; Ceratotherium; Ceratotherium simum; chlorhexidine; dermatitis; Diagnosis, Differential; disease course; drug therapy; etiology; excision; Male; oral administration; Perissodactyla; skin diseases; Skin Neoplasms - complications; Skin Neoplasms - diagnosis; Skin Neoplasms - surgery; Skin Neoplasms - veterinary; squamous cell carcinoma; Staphylococcal Skin Infections - complications; Staphylococcal Skin Infections - diagnosis; Staphylococcal Skin Infections - drug therapy; Staphylococcal Skin Infections - veterinary; Staphylococcus aureus; sulphadiazine; topical application; trimethoprim; Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination - administration & dosage; Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination - therapeutic use; wild animals; zinc oxide; zoo animals
• ISSN: 0959-4493; 1365-3164
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-3164.2007.00631.x

A captive 33-year-old male white rhinoceros with seasonal dermatitis was diagnosed with a malignant squamous cell carcinoma on the right flank. Staphylococcus aureus was cultured from the skin lesions. No fungal or yeast was isolated. The dermatitis was treated with a combination of oral antibiotics (trimethoprim-sulphadiazine) and topically with weekly chlorhexidine washes and a mixture of a zinc oxide, balsam peru and bismuth oxide cream. Under azaperone and butorphanol anaesthesia, the skin tumour was surgically removed. The tumour was excised with wide margins and allowed to heal by secondary intention as primary wound closure was not possible. A post-mortem performed 2 years later for an unrelated condition revealed no metastases or recurrence of the skin tumour. It was presumed that chronic irritation or trauma may have contributed to the development of the skin tumour. This is the first detailed report of the successful treatment of a squamous cell carcinoma not associated with the horn in a rhinoceros.