Gurltia paralysans, a metastrongyloid nematode, parasitizes in meningeal vessels in the thoracolumbar spinal cord of cats in South America and causes progressive paraparesis. Recently, the first report outside of South America described gurltiosis in a cat in Spain. As this parasitic disease has so far been largely neglected, especially outside of South America, the aim of the present case study was to add knowledge to the histologic and immunohistochemical characterization of central nervous lesions. To this purpose, formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue samples from the spinal cord and brain of five cats affected by clinical signs caused by Gurltia paralysans and of three control cats without CNS lesions were histopathologically examined using hematoxylin and eosin stain (HE), Elastica van Gieson stain, as well as periodic acid–Schiff (PAS) reaction. Moreover, immuno- histochemistry for alpha smooth muscle actin and Factor VIII-related antigen were performed to characterize vascular lesions. Lesions were consistent with previous descriptions and were mainly located in the spinal cord and consisted of chronic suppurative or lymphoplasmahistiocytic meningi tis as well as suppurative vasculitis, congestion and varicosis of meningeal veins. In view of the recent detection of this parasite in Europe and the increasing inner-European transport of rescued domestic cats, veterinarians in Europe should be aware of the clinical and pathomorphological presentation of this disease.

ZusammenfassungDieses Fallbeispiel zeigt ein bisher selten beschriebenes Myxosarkom in der ventrolateralen Halsregion eines 1-jährigen Teddy-Hamsters. Die zytologische Beurteilung eines Feinnadelaspirats aus der Umfangsvermehrung zeigte zahlreiche pleomorphe Spindelzellen, die in hohen Mengen in einer muzinösen Matrix gelegen waren. Zytologisch wurde aufgrund der ausgeprägten Malignitätskriterien der Spindelzellpopulation der Verdacht auf eine maligne mesenchymale Neoplasie geäußert. Die Matrix war dabei hinweisend auf ein zugrundeliegendes Myxosarkom. Der Hamster verstarb im Rahmen der operativen Entfernung der Zubildung. Die Histopathologie zeigte eine vollständige Übereinstimmung mit den zytologischen Befunden. In der Immunhistochemie stellte sich der Tumor Vimentin-positiv mit Alzianblau-positiver Matrix dar und bestätigte die zytologische Verdachtsdiagnose. Der Fall zeigt, dass die Zytologie als minimalinvasives Diagnostikum auch beim Kleinsäuger angewendet werden kann und Rückschlüsse auf die zugrundeliegende Pathologie von Zubildungen ermöglicht. Zum biologischen Verhalten des Myxosarkoms beim Hamster ist aufgrund der seltenen Fallbeschreibungen jedoch bislang wenig bekannt.

In human and veterinary medicine, mixed Müllerian tumors (MMTs) are rarely diagnosed neoplasms of the tubular female genital tract. Although there are case reports of malignant MMTs in various species, benign MMTs have only been described once in a macaque. Here we present a case of benign MMT in a 12-y-old goat, and review the literature on uterine, cervical, and vaginal neoplasia in goats. The doe was presented with vaginal discharge and was euthanized because of the high suspicion of intraabdominal neoplasia. On gross examination, an ulcerated vaginal mass was identified. Histologically, 2 distinct cell populations were present: smooth muscle cells that were well differentiated and positive for alpha–smooth muscle actin, and ciliated columnar epithelial cells that lined ductal structures and had no signs of malignancy. These findings led to the diagnosis of neoplasia of Müllerian origin. Benign MMT should be considered as a differential diagnosis for uterine and vaginal neoplasms in goats.

In vitro chemosensitivity tests are a widely used and established method in research. In laboratory environments, work safety is particularly important when working with carcinogenic, mutagenic, or reprotoxic (CMR) substances. When working with cell cultures, minimizing the risk of contamination with CMR substances and protecting the experimenter must be in the foreground of the experimental setup since risk minimization and occupational safety when handling CMR substances are mandatory. To minimize any personnel risk, studies with solid CMR substances should be carried out in a closed system. However, publications on occupational health and safety in laboratory environments in which CMR substances are tested in cell cultures are rare. Therefore, this article presents an easily applicable and safe method for improving work safety for in vitro chemosensitivity tests when working with CMR substances while also taking cell culture hygiene into account. For this purpose, a risk assessment of the test design was carried out, and the steps that were decisive for safety were highlighted. Some user-friendly and easily reproducible elements are presented, which increase the occupational safety of in vitro chemosensitivity assays, especially by reducing the risk of personnel contamination.

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