A case of gallstones in an African green monkey (Chlorocebus aethiops)

Abstract

Abstract. Spontaneous cholelithiasis was found in a male African green monkey (Chlorocebus aethiops) at necropsy. Choleliths varied in size, shape and colour. Gallstones were analysed using accepted analytical methods. Results showed that the gallstones were composed of cholesterol and protein in varying proportions. Histologically, the gallbladder showed diffuse mild to moderate lymphocytic infiltration. The etiology of the cholelithiasis in the examined individual remains unknown.

Cholecystoduodenostomy for biliary obstruction treatment in a white‐collared lemur (Eulemur cinereiceps)

“…Various predisposing epidemiological and genetic factors have been associated with the disease both in human and veterinary medicine, namely age, metabolic conditions like obesity or diabetes, sex with females being more affected than males, anatomical anomalies such as gallbladder septation and concurrent affections such as biliary stasis due to infection, hypomotility, and obstruction. 15 In this case, the affected animal was an aged male. The recurrent biochemical evaluations of his cholesterolemia did not reveal any abnormality and the animal did not have a history of metabolic disease, which could predispose to cholelithiasis.…”

“…It has been reported in galagos ( Galago crassicaudatus ), 5 slender lorises ( Loris tardigradus ), 6 marmosets ( Callithrix jacchus, Callithrix kuhlii, Callitrix argentata ), 7–10 tamarins ( Leontopithecus rosalia, Leontopithecus chrysomelas, Leontopithecus chrysopygus ), 7,9,10 squirrel monkeys ( Saimiri sciureus ), 3 owl monkeys ( Aotus trivirgatus ), 11 rhesus macaques ( Macaca mulatta ), 12,13 baboons ( Papio sp. ), 14 African green monkeys ( Chlorocebus aethiops ), 15 orangutans ( Pongo pygmaeus ) 16 and chimpanzees ( Pan troglotydes ) 17 . Nonetheless, prevalence in non‐human primates seems inferior to the one described in humans and is highly species specific, 15 with haplorhines being far more affected than strepsirhines 6 .…”

“…Various predisposing epidemiological and genetic factors have been associated with the disease both in human and veterinary medicine, namely age, metabolic conditions like obesity or diabetes, sex with females being more affected than males, anatomical anomalies such as gallbladder septation and concurrent affections such as biliary stasis due to infection, hypomotility, and obstruction 15 …”

“…), 14 African green monkeys (Chlorocebus aethiops), 15 orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus) 16 and chimpanzees (Pan troglotydes). 17 Nonetheless, prevalence in non-human primates seems inferior to the one described in humans and is highly species specific, 15 with haplorhines being far more affected than strepsirhines. 6 In fact, to the authors' knowledge, this case is the first description of an extrahepatic cholelithiasis in a lemuriforme species.…”

Extrahepatic biliary tract pathologies in mammalian species of zoo animals and wildlife: a review

“…In Primates, the vast majority of reports describe cholelith formation or neoplasia. Whether the former is primarily due to the species-specific septation of the gall bladder as presumed in tamarins and marmosets [Pissinatti et al, 1992] or dietary composition [Kleinlützum & Plesker, 2017;Martin et al, 1973;Plesker et al, 2012] needs further investigation. The frequency of neoplasia might correlate with the age reached by individuals under human care with the exception of experimentally induced adenocarcinoma through the ingestion of aflatoxin B 1 [Sieber et al, 1979].…”