DISSEMINATED PHEOCHROMOCYTOMA IN A NORTH AMERICAN RIVER OTTER (LONTRA CANADENSIS)

A 21-yr-old male North American river otter (Lontra canadensis) with a chronic history of degenerative osteoarthritis was evaluated for acute posterior paralysis. Because no definitive cause was identified and a poor prognosis was expected, the otter was euthanatized. A malignant neoplasm of adrenal...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of zoo and wildlife medicine 2012-06, Vol.43 (2), p.407-411
Main Authors: Schlanser, Justin R, Patterson, Jon S, Kiupel, Matti, Hencken, Christy, Sikarskie, James G, Harrison, Tara M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
adrenal
Adrenal Gland Neoplasms - pathology
Adrenal Gland Neoplasms - veterinary
Adrenal glands
Animals
BRIEF COMMUNICATIONS
Cell aggregates
Central Nervous System Neoplasms - secondary
Central Nervous System Neoplasms - veterinary
Histology
Lesions
Liver Neoplasms - secondary
Liver Neoplasms - veterinary
Lontra canadensis
Lung Neoplasms - secondary
Lung Neoplasms - veterinary
Male
Muscle Neoplasms - secondary
Muscle Neoplasms - veterinary
Neoplasia
Otter
Otters
Pancreatic Neoplasms - secondary
Pancreatic Neoplasms - veterinary
PC12 cells
Pheochromocytoma
Pheochromocytoma - pathology
Pheochromocytoma - veterinary
Spinal cord
Splenic Neoplasms - secondary
Splenic Neoplasms - veterinary
veterinary
Zoos
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Summary:A 21-yr-old male North American river otter (Lontra canadensis) with a chronic history of degenerative osteoarthritis was evaluated for acute posterior paralysis. Because no definitive cause was identified and a poor prognosis was expected, the otter was euthanatized. A malignant neoplasm of adrenal gland origin with disseminated metastases to the central nervous system, lymph nodes, diaphragm, pancreas, spleen, and liver was diagnosed on postmortem examination. No clinical signs of disseminated neoplasia had been noted throughout the otter's history. The adrenal neoplasm was composed of nests of epithelial cells surrounded by a fine fibrovascular stroma. Neoplastic cells were immunohistochemically positive for chromogranin A, PGP9.5, metencephalin, and endorphin and negative for melan A and inhibin, confirming a diagnosis of a malignant pheochromocytoma. On the basis of the necropsy finding, metastasis of the pheochromocytoma might have contributed to the observed clinical signs.
ISSN:1042-7260
1937-2825
DOI:10.1638/2011-0144.1