Pathological study of ovaries of nonpregnant camels (Camelus dromedarius) slaughtered in Iran

This study was undertaken to investigate the pathological changes and prevalence of ovarian abnormalities of camels in Iran. The ovaries of 96 non-pregnant dromedary camels of unknown history were collected and examined grossly and histopathologically. The pathological changes observed included: paraovarian cyst (2.08%), follicular cyst (2.08%), haemorrhagic cyst (1.04%), intrafollicular haemorrhage (5.2%), ovarian hydrobursitis (1.04%), oophoritis (3.12%) and benign cystic teratoma or dermoid cyst (1.04%). Also, in this study serous cystadenoma was diagnosed in the ovary of a dromedary camel. This is the first reported case of ovarian serous cystadenoma. Additionally, on the basis of gross and histopathological characteristics, this study suggest and support two hypotheses including occurrence of ovarian hydrobursitis due to haemorrhage of atretic follicles and existence of a probable relationship between ovarian luteinised haemorrhagic cyst and cystic hyperplastic endometritis in the dromedary camel.