A rare case of metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma in a Himalayan black bear (Selenarctos thibetanus)

A 24-year-old female Himalayan black bear (Selenarctos thibetanus) was necropsied and gross lesions were observed in liver, kidney, heart, lung and spleen, from which representative tissue samples in 10% formalin were submitted for histopathology to the Department of Veterinary Pathology, GADUVAS, Ludhiana. Microscopically, the liver showed variable sized multiple tumorous foci surrounded by fibrous tissue stroma, with neoplastic cells having prominent nuclei, basophilic cytoplasm and marked hypercellularity. Lungs showed widespread variable sized randomly distributed metastatic foci, as well as, vascular tumor thrombo-embolism. On the basis of microscopic findings, the present case was diagnosed as hepatocellular carcinoma with widespread pulmonary metastases.