CLOACOLITHIASIS AND INTESTINAL LYMPHOSARCOMA IN AN AFRICAN BLACK-FOOTED PENGUIN (SPHENISCUS DEMERSUS)

Abstract

A 13-yr-old male African black-footed penguin (Spheniscus demersus) presented thrice over 7 mo with gastrointestinal obstruction secondary to cloacolithiasis. Clinical signs consistently resolved with cloacolith removal and supportive care. However, 10 mo after initial presentation, it presented with similar signs, plus significant weight loss. No cloacolith was found, and it subsequently died. Significant gross findings included bilateral cecal masses, colonic perforation, and marked secondary coelomitis, multifocal tan to pale hepatic nodules, and pale kidneys with miliary white foci. Histopathologic diagnoses were intestinal lymphosarcoma with hepatic and renal metastases, secondary intestinal rupture, and subacute severe bacterial coelomitis. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first full report of either cloacolithiasis or lymphosarcoma in a penguin.

Multicentric lymphoma and leukaemia in a juvenile king penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus)

“…9 Histopathologic examination of the mass supported diagnosis of a malignant round cell neoplasm; however, neoplastic cells did not label with T-cell marker CD3 or B-cell marker BLA36. 10 It is interesting to note that these reported cases were all adult penguins in, or approaching, geriatric life stages, whereas the present case was only 10 months old. Lymphoid neoplasia is the most diagnosed haemolymphatic neoplasia in Galliformes, Psittaciformes and Passeriformes.…”

“…Immunohistochemistry was not attempted in this case. 10 A 25-year-old female macaroni penguin (Eudyptes chrysolophus) was diagnosed with exophthalmos secondary to a retrobulbar neoplasm through use of computed tomography. 9 Histopathologic examination of the mass supported diagnosis of a malignant round cell neoplasm; however, neoplastic cells did not label with T-cell marker CD3 or B-cell marker BLA36.…”

“…Given that the animal in the present case was the only individual in the colony affected, viral aetiology was less likely, and sections of spleen, liver and kidney submitted for PCR testing for Marek's disease virus and avian leukosis virus were negative. The leukosis groups of viruses have not been isolated from species other than chickens, pheasants, partridges and quail 6 ; however, there are sporadic reports of lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukaemia in Psittaciformes of unknown aetiology, 1,7 and multiple case reports of lymphoma in penguins 8–10 . A multicentric T‐cell lymphoma in a 27‐year‐old female Humboldt penguin infiltrated the oesophagus, proventriculus, ventriculus, lung, liver, kidneys and adrenal glands 8 .…”

Metastasis in the wild: investigating metastasis in non-laboratory animals

“…A lack of specific tools to appropriately utilise samples from spontaneous metastasis incidences outside of laboratory-controlled populations may be considered a limitation in investigating alternative models, however there are many successful reports of the diagnostic use of immunohistochemistry for biomarkers that are clinically relevant in the human setting [3]. For example, a cutaneous T cell lymphoma in an antelope ( Addax nasomaculatus ) with metastatic spread to multiple lymph nodes [24], an intestinal lymphosarcoma in an African black-footed penguin ( Spheniscus demersus ) with metastatic spread to the liver and kidneys [50], and a uterine T-cell lymphoma in an Atlantic bottle-nosed dolphin ( Tursiops truncates ) with metastatic spread to the lung, pituitary gland and peritoneum [35], all showed strong immunohistochemical staining for CD3 but not CD79a, confirming the lymphocytes to be of T cell origin (CD3 and CD79a are used as immunohistochemical markers of T and B-cell leukaemias/lymphomas in humans, respectively). In another case report, a cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma in a capybara ( Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris ) with regional lymph node metastases showed positive immunohistochemical staining for cytokeratin AE1/AE3, confirming the cell origin as being epithelial [39].…”

Cloacal impaction with cloacolith in a black-legged seriema (<i>Chunga burmeisteri</i>)

“…7(4): 391-393 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 393 This may solidify and chemically alter the urate mass, causing it to form a solid structure (Forbes, 2002;Gelis, 2006). Cloacoliths have been observed in a number of psittacine birds, particularly macaws, Amazon parrots (Amazona sp) (Rosskopf and Woerpel, 1989;Lumeij, 1994;Beaufrere et al, 2010), African grey parrot (Psittacus erithacus) (Christen and Hatt, 2006), as well as some raptors (Forbes, 2002) and an African blackfooted penguin (Spheniscus demersus) (Jones et al, 2014). Also, two cases of cloacoliths in raptors with cloacal prolapse have been reported.…”