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Gross path challenge #7

multiple nodules of varying sizes on skin around eye
Photo: Doug Macnought, Qld DAF
DESCRIPTION: There are multiple variably-sized (1–5 cm diameter) exophytic nodules protruding from the skin around the left eye. The nodules are mottled black and grey and verrucous (warty) in appearance​.

Dx: Fibropapillomas, aetiology bovine papilloma virus.

BPV-1 and BPV-2 cause fibropapilloma of the skin of the anterior and ventral parts of the body including the forehead, neck and back, the common cutaneous wart and BPV-2 causes the cauliflower-like fibropapillomas of the anal, genital and ventral abdominal skin regions. BPV-3 and BHV-5 may also cause cutaneous papillomas.

In healthy cattle, the papillomas are few and normally regress after one year but in chronically immunosuppressed animals; regression does not take place and the papillomas spread to other sites. Chronic immunosuppression in cattle commonly results from exposure to immunosuppressive chemicals such as present in bracken fern but, can be due to other factors like infection with bovine viral diarrhoea virus.