Tumors and tumor-like lesions in the genitalia of sows.

Abstract

Of a total of 1445 sows, tumors were detected in the uterus of 11 animals and in the cervix/vagina of 1 animal. Tumor-like lesions were detected in the ovary of 56 animals. The incidence of tumors was higher than that mentioned in the literature, possibly because of the relatively high age of the sows (mean parity of 6.8) and the accuracy of investigation. Several tumors would not have been detected during routine slaughter examination. The uterine tumors were diagnosed as leiomyoma (6), fibroma (3), cyst-adenoma (1) and fibro-leiomyoma (1). The cervical/vaginal tumor appeared to be a fibroma. The ovarian lesions could not be satisfactorily classified. They consisted of connective tissue, blood vessels, and granulosa cells, which were present in variable quantities in different ovaries and in different sides of the same ovary. Sows with tumors were older than the mean determined age at slaughter (parity 6.8). Sows with uterine and cervical/vaginal tumors had a parity of 11.6; sows with ovarian lesions had a parity of 9.0. Sows with uterine- or a cervical/vaginal tumor were often slaughtered for infertility reasons.