Microscopic and spectroscopic characterization of an extraskeletal intranasal osteoma in a Gir cow

This is probably the first report characterizing an extraskeletal intranasal osteoma in a Gir cow through scanning electron microscopy and various spectroscopic techniques. Nasal obstruction in a 10-year-old Gir cow is investigated in this study. Skull radiograph demonstrated 174.12 mm × 81.97 mm sized well-circumscribed radiodense mass within the left nasal passage. The intranasal mass was excised completely through a rhinotomy incision. Grossly, intranasal mass was nonhyperemic, rock-hard, and calcified, 174.12 mm × 81.97 mm in size, and 650 g of weight. Excised intranasal mass was investigated through histopathologic, scanning electron microscopic (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopic, X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopic, microwave plasma-atomic energy spectroscopic (MPAES), and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic techniques. A native bone of age-matched Gir cow, collected from a cadaver, was taken as a control. Microscopically, structures similar to cortical bone randomly coexisted with trabecular bone were observed. The EDX analysis of the intranasal mass indicated mean Ca/P weight ratio of 1.88, close to Ca/P weight ratio of the control. The XRF analysis revealed the presence of Ca, P, Sr, S, Zn, Cu, Fe, and Ni in the intranasal mass. Additionally, Mn was noted by MPAES analysis. Hence, the XRF and MPAES analyses confirmed a similar elemental composition of the intranasal mass and control. FTIR spectroscopic study confirmed the presence of inorganic ν_1, ν₃ PO₄ ^3- , OH^- in addition to organic collagen amide A, amide B, amide I, amide II, and amide III chemical functional groups in the intranasal mass. These findings of the intranasal mass were consistent with an osteoma having similar elemental and molecular compositions with the native bone.