Renal carcinoma as a cause of sudden death in an aged horse

Renal neoplasia is rare in the horse and the presenting signs are varied and frequently nonspecific. Several types of renal tumour have been reported including nephroblastoma, transitional cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, although renal cell carcinomas are the most common (Schott 2004). Eighteen cases have been reported in detail in the veterinary literature since 1980. These reports illustrate the diagnostic challenge of this condition, in particular the nonspecific nature of the presenting signs and the tendency for the tumour to remain unnoticed until well advanced.