Well-Differentiated Squamous Cell Carcinoma Found on the Tail of a Captive Leopard (Panthera Pardus): The Importance of Diagnostic Tests

A 14-year-old intact male captive leopard (Panthera pardus) first presented with a focal alopecic lesion on the dorsal aspect of the distal one-third of its tail. Although itraconazole was administered, the lesion progressed deeper and became ulcerated due to self-trauma. Due to the wild nature of the leopard, daily dressing of the wound and replacing the bandages without anesthesia became too dangerous, and amputation became necessary. A postoperative tissue sample was submitted for histopathological examination, and tramadol, amoxicillin/clavulanate, and gabapentin were administered. In the days following the amputation, the leopard's appetite significantly decreased, and the patient passed away 18 days later. Histopathological examination of the specimen revealed well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). In hindsight, had more cells been collected by a fine-needle aspirate (FNA) biopsy or had additional FNA biopsies been performed, SCC might have been diagnosed based on its cytological features rather than delayed histopathological findings. The current study highlights the critical reasons why clinicians may often misdiagnose SCC and the importance of being more aware of potential tumors in ulcerative lesions, which are often incorrectly treated as infectious skin diseases. This is also the first report of cutaneous SCC in a leopard.