Nasal cavity cancer in a rabbit

Exotic animal medicine is a dynamic part of veterinary medicine. It is very important to publish rare cases in order to share experience. Diseases in the sinuses and nasal cavities are common. Seemingly ordinary upper respiratory tract infections can have very different causes, i.e. foreign bodies, abscesses or neoplastic lesions. The latter are among the extremely rare ones. Their diagnosis is difficult due to the need for specialised examinations, i.e. tomography or rhinoscopy. The case described in this report concerns a rabbit in which extensive diagnostics were performed to determine the cause of chronic nasal discharge. Bacteriological cultures, CT scans and rhinoscopy were performed to remove the lesion. To determine its nature, a histopathological examination was also performed, which revealed the presence of a nasal carcinoma. A rabbit with a recurrent bilateral nasal discharge was brought to the clinic. It was initially diagnosed with bacterial rhinitis and treated with antibiotics. During the next 6 months, the discharge recurred and then became unilateral and whitecoloured. In a further diagnostic procedure, the rabbit had a skull radiograph, which excluded sinus infections and the presence of a foreign body in the nasal cavity. After the following 6 months, the rabbit appeared to have a louder than usual respiratory murmur and snoring during sleep. A radiograph showed a lesion in the nasal conchae. A rhinoscopy further revealed a mass within the right nasal cavity. The lesion was removed and submitted for histopathological examination, which confirmed nasal carcinoma. Radiation therapy was suggested, which the owners declined. After removal of the lesion, the nasal discharge decreased and did not contain any blood. Further treatment of the rabbit after the rhinoscopy consisted of nebulisation with a solution of budesonide and enrofloxacin 2 x 2 daily for 5 days, after which the condition began to stabilise. A follow-up clinical examination 3 months after the rhinoscopy revealed no recurrence of the clinical symptoms.