2004 - 73 (6)

The objective of this case report was to demonstrate the feasibility of photodynamic therapy for the treatment of feline superficial squamous cell carcinoma and to illustrate its approachability in veterinarian practice. Photodynamic therapy using topical 5-aminolaevulinic acid was applied on a superficial squamous cell carcinoma at the nasal planum of a cat. After applying of the cream, the irradiation wasperformed with a red Light Emitting Diode contrivance with a wave length of 660 nm. The following day, the tumour area was erythematous and oedematous. On the second day after the treatment a scab was formed. The response rate was encouraging as visual observation of the tumour area revealed a removal of the malignant cells and recovery of the normal epithelialised skin structure two months after the treatment. A follow-up period up to two years revealed no recurrence. These promising results demonstrate that photodynamic therapy should be considered as treatment modality for early stage superficial squamous cell carcinoma.

Isosporosis in suckling piglets causes clinical and especially subclinical problems on many pig farms. During an organized screening, the diagnosis was made via faeces examination. In 83% of 63 herds with a possible history of isosporosis, oocysts were detected in on average 40% of the examined litters. Isosporosis was more frequently found on smaller farms and on the largest farms. Farrowing pens with full grids appeared to be less infected. The percentage of positive litters appeared to decrease with an increasing time interval between 2 consecutive sows in the pen. The routine disinfection methods after cleaning the pens appeared to have no effect. This screening mainly shows that coprological examination is an appropriate method to confirm the history of isosporosis on a pig farm.