Strange Cyst on this Roe Liver

[JRoe]

Let's see if any of you can shed light on this liver abnormality. I shot this old(ish) fellow last night. Seemed in good enough nick, starting to get his winter coat on. I've known him a long time and his behaviour was normal. On gralloching I found a v large cyst together with some very strange shapes on the liver. On cutting into it I found that the hard lump was full of dark almost black liquid. Also a strange orange tinge to some parts I also found 3 only of what I would describe as Fluke, free floating.However they don't resemble any Fluke I've come across before. Here's some pics - -

 

[private fraser]

Your link is coming up as invalid John, on my set-up anyway.

 

[deerstalker.308]

Attachments aren't working.......

 

[JRoe]

Thanks guys - - I'll try and sort.

JR

 

[jimbo123p]

Looks like one I had with fluke. Similar cysts. I ended up dumping the carcass.

 

[Tackleberry270]

Interesting. I've come across several cases of cysts on the liver before but none like that! Dark blood is not unusual for the liver or cyst like growths as a result of fluke but that looks particularly nasty. Did you incise the portal? What did other nodes look like? I will be interested in the opinions of the vets. If it were me I certainly would not be using either the liver or that wooden chopping board ever again! .... unless emaciated, you would not usually need to reject a carcass with fluke.

 

[JRoe]

Interesting. I've come across several cases of cysts on the liver before but none like that! Dark blood is not unusual for the liver or cyst like growths as a result of fluke but that looks particularly nasty. Did you incise the portal? What did other nodes look like? I will be interested in the opinions of the vets. If it were me I certainly would not be using either the liver or that wooden chopping board ever again! .... unless emaciated, you would not usually need to reject a carcass with fluke.

All nodes were fine - - I didn't incise the portal because when I cut open the cyst I had a bit of a mess to clear up pretty quickly.

I did the rest of the Liver in my usual way with strips rolled in seasoned flour then fried in butter. A wee bit tougher than usual but I'm OK so far !

JR

 

[Gaz]

All nodes were fine - - I didn't incise the portal because when I cut open the cyst I had a bit of a mess to clear up pretty quickly.

I did the rest of the Liver in my usual way with strips rolled in seasoned flour then fried in butter. A wee bit tougher than usual but I'm OK so far !

JR

your braver than me JR. think I would of stayed on the safe side and rejected the whole carcass.

 

[Buchan]

The beasties in the pot certainly look like fluke and the overall liver appearance is a bit mottled, not nice and smooth. I'm not surprised it was a bit chewy! (No risk to you though). I can't quite work out what the brown lumpy bit is, but I'm assuming it might be a heavily fluked liver lobe. your black fluid is probably bile as is the orange tint you report.

 

[Apache]

The last picture is 100% fluke.

Fluke must be involved, but that is an unusual presentation. It looks in the second picture like the portal node is enlarged.

I would 100% reject the liver. The rest of the carcase should be fine. Inverness not a big TB area, but it would be on the differentials list if down south.

 

[JRoe]

Thanks all - - This one was so different from the odd case of fluke I've had here before, thought it was worth getting a second opinion or two. everything else, including the lungs, was fine.

It was really disgusting and I doubt if he would have survived the winter. He weighed in at only 17 kilos so maybe that had a lot to do with it too.

- - and by the way I didn't eat it - - - sorry - - my sense of humour struck again.

JR

 

[stalker58]

Looks like a Severe case of fluke..seen it many times in sheep,the ducts are usually thickened and white by the aggravation of the fluke moving about..

 

[Buchan]

It's surprising just how little liver they need to survive, I think it would have been OK.
Regarding thickened bile ducts - this doesn't happen much in deer, unlike cattle

 

[ckwoodland]

hi all ex meat inspector here liver fluke

 

[jsimpson]

I have seen cases like this before. If the white mass is solid and not fluid filled it can be due to tumour formation - but rare. Where it is fluid filled it is much more likely to be parasitic, either a tapeworm cysts or more commonly due to liver fluke. I think the pictures suggest the latter is the most likely.
Jimmy
vet scottishdeerproject.co.uk