title: Histopathology and epidemiology of condemnations due to squamous cell carcinoma in broiler chickens in North Carolina.
abstract: Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) lesions were confirmed by histopathology in 94% of 176 carcasses condemned for SCC during 8-hour shifts at four different processing plants. Lesions in the remaining carcasses were diagnosed as focal ulcerative dermatitis. SCC lesions were confined to the skin; no metastasis or invasion of underlying muscle was present. Monthly prevalence of SCC condemnations at processing was obtained from two plants for a 1-year period and from two additional plants for 3-year periods. Overall study prevalence of SCC varied between 0.03% and 0.09% of total condemnations. Servicemen were found not to have an effect on SCC condemnations for the only company that had these data available. Chronological trends were evaluated for SCC condemnations. A trigonometric model predicted 6-month cycles for one processing plant over a 3-year period. The same model was used to describe 6-month cycles present in the last 12 months of a 3-year observation period in a different processing plant. Chronologic trends were evaluated qualitatively for the two other processing plants.
authors.affiliation: Microbiology, Pathology, and Parasitology Department, North Carolina State University, Raleigh 27606, USA.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Weinstock
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Correa
authors.forename: D V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Rives
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Wages
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D002645:Chickens; D007668:Kidney / Q000473:pathology; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology; D008462:Meat-Packing Industry / Q000592:standards*; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009657:North Carolina / Q000453:epidemiology; D011201:Poultry Diseases; D015995:Prevalence; D012621:Seasons; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*