Wayne I. Anderson

Primary glossal squamous-cell carcinoma in a Spanish Cochin hen.

A primary glossal squamous-cell carcinoma was diagnosed in an adult Spanish Cochin hen. Grossly, there was locally extensive ulceration of the tongue. Histologically, the submucosa was diffusely infiltrated by islands, nests, and fronds of variably differentiated squamous epithelial cells. Neoplastic cells extended into the underlying muscular layer and stimulated intense scirrhous and inflammatory reactions.

Bronchioloalveolar Carcinoma with Renal and Hepatic Metastases in a Degu (Octodon degus)

A primary bronchioloalveolar carcinoma with renal and hepatic metastases was diagnosed in a mature male degu (Octodon degus) that was found dead in a zoological exhibit (Buffalo Zoological Gardens, Buffalo, New York, USA). Grossly, a discrete 0.5 cm diameter nodule was seen in the lung. Smaller, but similar nodules were present scattered in the liver and kidneys. Histologically, nests and sheets of an infiltrating population of cuboidal to low columnar neoplastic epithelial cells partially effaced pulmonary architecture. Vascular invasion was evident. Similar nests and sheets of neoplastic cells were present within the renal cortex and medulla, and a small nest was present within the hepatic parenchyma. This is the first record of this neoplasm in a degu.

Besnoitiosis of the reproductive tract of a Blue Duiker (Cephalophus monticola).

A mature male Blue Duiker that had been born in the United States was submitted for necropsy examination following a brief illness. On histologic examination of the reproductive tract several Besnoitia cysts were found in the epididymis, prostate and bulbourethral gland. The lack of an inflammatory response or any negative effect on fertility, based on histologic evaluation and breeding history, is in contrast with the severe orchitis, epididymitis and infertility of besnoitiosis in cattle. This is the first report of an autochthonous infection of Besnoitia in the United States as well as the first report of besnoitiosis in a Blue Duiker.

Cholangiocarcinoma in a 4-month-old double yellow-cheeked Amazon parrot (Amazona autumnalis).

A cholangiocarcinoma was diagnosed in a 4-month-old double yellow-cheeked Amazon parrot (Amazona autumnalis). Histologically, neoplastic cells effaced hepatocellular architecture. Ultrastructurally, variably dilated bile ductules were lined by simple cuboidal to low columnar ciliated epithelial cells with sparse cellular organelles and prominent junctional complexes. Elongated single cilia arising from basal bodies in the apical cytoplasm were occasionally evident. The presence of such a neoplasm in a 4-month-old parrot is extremely unusual.

Subclinical Lumbar Polyradiculopathy, Polyneuritis and Ganglionitis in Aged Wild and Exotic Mammalians

Subclinical lumbar polyradiculopathy was present in the intradural dorsal and ventral nerve rootlets of 19 aged individuals of the following wild and exotic mammalian species: woodrat, raccoon, mink, lynx, reindeer, red deer, musk ox, scimitar-horned oryx, Arabian oryx, hybrid waterbuck, Persian onager, Przewalskis wild horse, Malayan sun bear, Asian elephant, East African river hippopotamus, vervet monkey and rhesus monkey. It was characterized by mild to severe multifocal ballooning of myelin sheaths. Occasionally, ballooned myelin sheaths contained thin strands of myelin and macrophages surrounding distorted axons. Additionally, a mild incidental lymphocytic polyneuritis was present in intradural nerve rootlets of the Malayan sun bear, and a moderate lymphocytic spinal ganglionitis in the East African river hippopotamus.

A Fibrosarcoma in the Skeletal Muscle of a Capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris)

An 8-yr-old male capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris), a resident of an urban zoological collection in upstate New York (USA), had a mass posteroventral to its left stifle; it was of unknown duration. The mass was a fibrosarcoma based on invasive sheets of interwoven spindle-shaped neoplastic cells with moderate associated extracellular matrix composed of collagen fibers. Supportive immunohistochemical staining was positive for vimentin but negative for cytokeratins, desmin, and myoglobin. The animal subsequently died of unknown causes. This is the first known report of a neoplasm in a capybara.